Legacy of the Aura Wars
by Orrenn
Summary: A trio of would-be adventurers are caught up in a deadly terrorist plot! What are the goals of the nefarious Team Aura, and what other mysterious figures still hide in the shadows? These questions and more may be answered, as the story ever continues!
1. Gene Syril

Prologue:

World of Dreams

_We all have dreams. We all have hopes, and desires. Every day of our lives, we set one foot in front of the other, not merely content to walk the soil beneath our feet, but to seize it. Because the soil that supports our dreams is not firm, nor does it abide by our whims. Yet our dreams are precious, and to discover those dreams is the purest purpose of youth._

_ …__Today, you gather before me; some of you seeking your dreams; others already firmly on the path to accomplishing them. Hold onto those dreams, and if you have not yet found the path which leads to them, look to your peers and seek aid from them. Often you can find the direction of your own heart by looking to those closest to you._

_Know that I have founded this institute for you. I have devoted my life to it, and built it from the ground, all for you; all for your dreams. That is our purpose. To safeguard those dreams, and the dreams of all who walk this world, whether they be Human or Pokémon. Everyone has a right to those dreams._

_I'm sure you're all excited to begin your lessons, and I hope you enjoy your time with us. But before you do, I ask that you listen to our story. This is a story of our history, and how the halls you now walk came to be. It is also __**my**__ story, and so I expect a certain degree of respect during its telling._

_ …__Now. …Our story begins with three youths, much like yourselves. Perhaps a bit older than the youngest of you; and at the start a bit younger than the oldest among you. Hmm-heh. I see a few returning faces. As always, I will remind you that this tale is only mandatory for first years. You're free to stay if you like, but don't expect to skip class for free. You __**will**__ be expected to catch up on what you miss._

_Ah, bother, now I've gotten off track… So, the story; the story begins with three youths. The oldest, Gene Syril the Pokémon Linguist, the youngest, Batou Holland the Pokémon Battle Artist, and the… middle… aged… …*sigh* …And, a young woman named Luna Celeson, the Aura Adept._

_It will be important to familiarize yourself with the lead characters before we continue._

Chapter 1- Gene Syril,

and The Messenger of Troubled Times

_Let us begin our story with Gene. At the time, Gene was something of a vagrant. He had no home, and spent much of his days listening to his loyal Pokémon Mawile scold him for being a loser. Actually, Mawile is a rather important figure in our story, so this will be a good opportunity to get to know her as well. I will leave the events which led Gene to such a dire situation a mystery for the moment, as I'm sure they'll be brought to light later in our story. For now, know that it was the kindness of a young Librarian named Amy which saved him._

_Amy took pity on Gene and his Pokémon, offering them work at her library in Olivine City, and opened her house to them… which technically was built on top of the library. For nearly half a year, Gene lived the quiet, peaceful life of a librarian. And then the harsh hand of fate sent to him a messenger, heralding the dark times which were to come…_

* * *

"…aaaand, done!" Gene clapped his hands with a cheer, the sudden movement causing the wheeled ladder upon which he was perched to swerve. With a swift thump of his heart Gene clumsily swung his arms forward, latching onto the ladder for dear life. For a moment he forgot to breath, but then with an oddly pleasant breath he exhaled and exclaimed, "Hey, hey! You're supposed to be watching out for me." In spite of the mildly serious nature of the exclamation, Gene's tone remained innocuous and cheerful.

"Maaah… awa…" came the somewhat perturbed reply of his reluctant assistant. Without bothering to look, Mawile forcefully clamped down upon the ladder with her jaw-like horn, nearly toppling the bookshelf it was attached to after Gene had gone to such lengths to properly organize it.

Thanks to his already firm grip of the ladder, Gene was able to remain balanced in spite of Mawile's careless jostling. "Thank you," he called down to her, but Mawile paid him no heed, and merely continued to 'read' the thin tome she had somewhere acquired.

Thankful to once again find himself with firm footing after having climbed down the ladder, Gene took a curious glance over Mawile's shoulder. It appeared she had acquired some sort of children's picture book. It seemed to tell the gallant tale of a Mawile knight, clad in golden armor, a lance in its hands, and a golden shield cast over its horn. While it was unclear to Gene whether his own Mawile was capable of reading the sparsely placed letters upon the pages, he did have to admit that the artwork alone merited attention. …He might even have said that the artwork was ridiculously, even needlessly detailed for a children's book.

With an impish grin, Gene fixed his glasses as he asked, "So, do you want to be that Mawile? …Or is it perhaps your new _boyfriend_?"

There was a brief moment where time seemed to stand still, yet Gene was sure he could see the veins in Mawile's forehead flare up in rage. …Then again, he may have just imagined it… Either way, the a sharp pain in Gene's foot as Mawile smashed it with her horn made it clear that she did not approve of his jest… "Maa-…ee…"

"Aieee!" Gene cried out, hopping out of the way as he shook his pained foot. An unexpected fit of giggling caused Gene to spin around, still fumbling over his injury.

Amy stood at the corner of the bookshelf, making a vain attempt to hide her laughter in hands. "Heheha… I'm sorry. You're jus- hehe. You're both so fun to watch!"

"O-o… A-amy," Gene dumbly tried to find a response, but his wit had escaped him.

Fortunately, Amy's presence seemed enough to warrant Mawile's attention, as she stood, leaving her book behind as she moved before Amy, a bright expression on her face. "Wa-ee!"

Amy smiled brightly in return. "I'm so glad you both are such good friends."

"I think it's more like a marriage actually. …The kind that ends up with the sad words 'domestic violence' staining the whole memory…" Even as he said all of this, and still nursed his foot, Gene smiled. Amy was right. Mawile could easily have crushed the bones in his foot if she wanted to. In a weird way, this was normal for the two of them.

Mawile seemed to huff at the comment. "Hmph… Mawile, wai law-ee." A smirk spread across her expression at the tail end of her remark.

"Oh, you really think you can do better?" Gene retorted. "I'm quite the catch I'll have you know!" Amy's giggling at the discourse reminded Gene that the two of them weren't alone, and that the person with them now was… Well, suffice it to say Gene suddenly became quite self-conscious and embarrassed, his expression deviating from his usual good cheer to reflect this.

"Hehe. I wish I could learn to understand them so well…" Amy commented, a slight hint of regret in her tone.

Amy was of course referring to the ability to understand the feelings, and intentions of Pokémon; to understand their words. This was precisely the sort of ability which Gene possessed. During his stay at the library, he had made attempts at Amy's request to pass on this skill to her, but doing so proved to be rather difficult.

It wasn't a matter of intelligence. In that area, Amy was more than capable. But rather, the matter was closer to the heart of the issue. Pokémon do not communicate in precisely the same way as humans. The words spoken, and the motions associated matter very little when deprived of the core of the Pokémon's heart. Without seeing the **_true nature_** of a Pokémon, understanding the meaning behind their words would be impossible.

Of course, this is a difficult thing to explain to someone who lacks the ability to begin with. "It's alright," Gene replied. "Words are just words. It's the bonds we share with our Pokémon that are important. Long after the words fade, it is these bonds which we remember; both us and Pokémon."

"Yeah… I guess…" Amy said with a sigh. She didn't seem especially convinced.

A silence fell over the group. The oppressive tone of nothingness was almost too much to bear. In this, it was Mawile who broke the silence. A bright expression on her face, she called up to Amy. "Wa-ee!" At that, the girl couldn't help but to smile as well. With a wave of her head, Mawile then moved toward Gene. Slowly, she spoke to him. "Mawile wa mawa. …Wa-ee wa Wai-e… Wawa maile!"

"Erk!" Gene unconsciously recoiled at Mawile's remark. Pokémon do not speak precisely as we would, but to Gene, Mawile's intention was clear. _I think now would be a good time. …Amy and Gene… Speak your feelings!_ With a satisfied, if somewhat devious expression upon her face at seeing Gene's reaction, Mawile collected her book from the floor, departing for places unknown.

Gene didn't know what he was supposed to do. Of course if his 'feelings' were obvious to Mawile they were obvious to him as well. …But it wouldn't be right to speak of them would it? Could he really just come out and say it? Gene debated the matter with himself, almost frantic as beads of sweat sent shivers down his neck, and all the while Amy looked at him, her perplexed expression clearly shown on her face as she canted her head ever so slightly to the side. It was very cute. …And terrifying! Made more so when Gene realized he was wasting precious time being distracted by something as inanely stupid as how the prettiest girl he'd ever met was holding her head!

A short laugh heralded Amy's question. "What did Mawile say just now?"

…Gene froze. This was it. This was 'the moment'. He had to do it. …He had to. Right now, there was only one thing he could think to say. "She excused herself, to go frolic in a field of rainbow colored flowers where she could don impractically designed armor and ride a fire breathing unicorn on a quest to rescue the dashing, but impractically dressed male count-aaaagheahaa!"

"**Wai-ee ma-ee! MAAAAAAAA-EEEEEE!**"

…That was the last thing Gene heard before he lost consciousness.

* * *

The sun cast its crimson glow upon the horizon. Soon it would be swallowed up entirely. Gene let out a sigh. Having just recovered from Mawile's best remained ambiguous assault on his person, he now stood beside the window of his room. Something felt off about this particular sunset. There was something certainly 'not right', but Gene couldn't place what it was.

A knock at the door woke him from his concerns, and shortly after, Amy entered the room followed be a Mawile who was clearly trying to keep her glare to the floor. "H-Hello. I hope we're not intruding."

Gene smiled, the same smile he always had as though nothing had happened. "No, of course not. I'm always glad to see the both of you."

Amy smiled, with a quick nod of her head. Then kneeling over, she nudged the small Pokémon at her feet forward. "Mawile has something to say, don't you Mawile?"

Mawile tilted her head slightly as to look at Gene with one eye. It wasn't a very apologetic look; more like the expression of a child who had been scolded. After a long delay, she simply said, "…Ma-… wile ama."

"That didn't sound like an apology to me," Amy remarked.

"Erk!?" Mawile recoiled back at this. Gene couldn't help but smile at the exchange. Mawile certainly hadn't apologized, but there's no way Amy could have known that. …Good guess though. Apparently realizing she had been caught, Mawile's shoulders sank as her horn drooped dully on the floor. "Mawile… wima…"

Gene smiled to her, his expression sincere and gentle. "Thank you Mawile. And I'm sorry for teasing you."

A short silence between them ended as Amy absently folded her hands and asked, "So… Gene. About… what you, might have wanted to say earlier…" She turned to make eye contact, a slightly reddish tinge in her cheeks. "You never did say what Mawile… suggested… Did you?"

"O-oh… Uh, that was, nothing," Gene answered, almost without thinking. His nerves had already gotten the better of him once. He couldn't do this again; not today. He found he couldn't keep her gaze while she was looking at him that way. He turned away, almost frantically in search of something else to draw his attention. His gaze was drawn to the window.

"I don't know about that… Uhm…" Even as Amy continued to speak, Gene still remained fixed on the window. To his surprise, something beyond did catch his attention. "I know… it's not the easiest thing to say… and me too… but… I think…" Gene was almost entirely distracted now. Not far from the library, by the nearest lamppost a figure waited. It was impossible to discern much, but Gene recognized her immediately. The long, soft white overcoat alone wasn't enough, but the parasol over her shoulder, a parasol which shielded her from neither sun nor rain… It could **only** be her. "…I-… think you'll be happier if you… be honest… because…"

"I-I gotta… I'll be right back!" Gene stated suddenly. Without waiting for a response he darted past Amy and Mawile.

He could just barely hear Amy's sigh as she said, "…I'm really bad at this."

"…Ma-ee…"

Of course, this exchange was still beyond Gene. As usual, he missed the most important part.

* * *

When Gene reached the lamppost, the figure was gone. There was no joy about Gene's expression. _That she would appear now..._

"Trouble… right?"

Gene spun around to face the woman who had spoken. Somehow, she had gotten behind him. "I mean no offense… but it is true, right?"

The woman paused, her barren expression a contrast to her lively appearance. Her exceedingly curly pink hair and like colored eyes gave the impression of jubilation and good cheer, yet her eyes were hollow, and her expression muted. At length, she answered him, "Yes."

Gene just shook his head. "Why have you come to me, Saya? I've made it very clear; I want nothing to do with you, or your friends." The words were spoken in a polite quality, but there was a firmness in them which made their relationship clear. The two of them were not friends…

"We thought you would… like to know…"

Gene grit his teeth, losing his smile. "Get over yourselves! I don't want to deal with you people anymore!"

Saya stood motionless for a moment before answering. "But that's… hm…?" As she finally began to speak, something seemed to catch her attention. In a fluid, almost ghostly motion, the girl had swayed to the side, just as a giant pair of jaws flew through the air, snapping shut where her head had been a moment ago.

"Maaaaaa!" Mawile tumbled out of the air as her attack whiffed, somersaulting on the ground before coming to her feet in front of Gene, her back to Saya as she glared over her shoulder. …You do **not** want a Mawile to turn its back to you. Their small, innocuous looking bodies conceal the ferocity of their kind. The large, ponytail like horn on the back of a Mawile's head opens to a pair of fearsome jaws, more than capable of tearing through the support beams of the sturdiest buildings… Frail human bodies don't even compare.

"Ah. …Hello Mawile," Saya greeted in a soft, empty tone.

"Maaaa!" Mawile continued to growl and glare, her horn flared back into a snarl at well, ready to strike.

"Mawile doesn't think highly of you Saya. …Nor do I." Gene almost regretted the harshness of his tone, but he reminded himself he had good reason for his feelings.

Saya stared at the two of them for a while. Her expression was completely unreadable, and Gene had often wished some insight into the workings of her mind. Now though, he feared he did not wish to know. None the less, when Saya answered, "I'm sorry…" there was an unmistakable tone of remorse in her voice. …But it was too late for that now. "…Onikage. …Do you remember him?"

"Uh, yeah…" _A name like that is kinda hard to forget… Seriously, who's that guy trying to impress anyway?_

"…We don't like him any more…"

"You don't say…" Somehow, this didn't surprise Gene in the slightest. Even among a long list of people Gene didn't like, Onikage was easily the worst. It's no surprise some of the others would agree.

"He needs to be stopped."

"Then stop him. It should be easy enough. Heck, **you** could do it…"

"That's not it."

"Then, what is it?"

"We need you to do it."

"What!?" Gene was taken aback at this, and the suggestion caused Mawile to snap the jaws of her horn and growl even more fiercely. "Out of me, out of all of your friends… I'm the **worst **person to ask! I-I mean, geez, have we even met!?"

Saya spoke softly, but had seemingly gotten into a comfortable rhythm of answering Gene as curtly as possible. She made a notable attempt to break this trend. "We do not need you to… fight him… We want you to stop… what he's doing… Just one time… And then, you can go back to… whatever you've been doing."

"What are you even talking about?"

Saya closed her eyes for a moment. "We can't do it. Too much exposure. We don't want that…"

Gene stared at her for a moment, but he was beginning to understand. These people were secretive. They didn't want people to know what they could do; or for that matter, that they even exist. Not yet, anyway. All their grand plans, all their scheming… It would all come crashing down if they acted now.

Saya continued. "We'll stop him. …We'll do it our way. You stop him your way. Stop his works. Protect. …It is… a noble thing."

Gene knew. This really must be serious if they were coming to him. "He's doing something terrible, isn't he?"

Saya cast down her eyes. "Yes… Something…" she paused, her grip tightening around her parasol as she slowly spoke the word, almost pained at its mention, "…evil…"

Gene shook his head. "I knew it. I always knew it… How many more of you people going full lunatic will it take before you get it through your heads?"

Saya paused. She seemed to have lost the ability to look Gene in the eye. "We are not all the same. We do not all agree on what is best. Some of us…" She hesitated, clearly uncertain. These were bounds which few dared to cross. "Some would follow you… if you were to give them purpose. If you were to let them."

This was completely unexpected. Gene was taken aback by the proposal. Even Mawile slacked in her stance at the suggestion. But Gene shook his head. "I'm not interested. But I will help you, just this once. If something evil is about to happen, I have to try to stop it."

A moment longer, and Mawile dropped her stance entirely, grudgingly turning to face Saya. "…Wai…" She agreed with Gene completely.

Taking a breath, Gene spoke once again. "Alright. Saya, tell us what you've seen."

* * *

_Gene decided to trust Saya. It was a decision which would shape his life from that point on… as well as the lives of many others… By Saya's words, Gene that night found himself at the Olivine City Pokémon Center, where he would meet Luna and Batou, and the threat posed by Onikage would be revealed to the world._


	2. Batou Holland

Chapter 2- Batou Holland,

Purpose

_Before I continue on to the events which transpired at the Olivine City Pokémon Center, I must first explain the origin of another pair of key figures in that event. Specifically, Batou Holland and his partner Growlithe. Batou and his family found themselves living in Fuchsia City after the eruption of the volcano on Cinnabar Island displaced them from their home._

_Batou's parents were both scientists but lamentably, much of their research was lost when they fled the island. They devoted much of the following years to regaining what they had lost, for they were seekers of knowledge and truth, and such things can never truly be destroyed. For Batou however, what was lost in that incident could not be so easily recovered… nor could it ever be forgotten…_

* * *

A flash, and not a moment longer did it take for the roar of the clouds to rattle the earth beneath the young man. Neither the lightning, nor wind, nor rain nor the deafening clap of thunder could turn him. The cold stung his flesh as the rain beat against his clothes, and yet still he did not move. Even his eye were cold, the remnants of a thousand pouring raindrops masking the sight of a hundred tears.

Another clap of thunder, and the boy remained, as implacable and natural as the grim angels which watched over this place. So long had he remained in this place through the pouring rain, that the stone slab against his back began to feel warm.

By the boy's side sat his companion, ever faithful and vigilant. The Pokémon's soft orange fur had become matted, and wet, yet still remained warm by virtue of its nature. He looked to the boy, his gaze never waning, nor turning away. There was a sorrowful air about the creature, and one might wonder whether it was the rain cascading down his face or tears. No mistake could be made however, if tears they were, they were not for the stone slab at the boy's back, but for the boy himself.

This Pokémon, loyal beyond reproach, did not wish to be here. The weather was horrible, and even the warmth beneath his fur began to give way before nature's cruel rain, and yet still he remained. He knew… As long as this was where the boy wished to be, the rain would change nothing. As long as his friend remained, Growlithe would stay by his side.

The storm raged on, and for a time it seemed that the boy would never move. Indeed, he had begun to question whether there would even be a reason to rise. The weight of the dark and cold hung against him, dragging him down into the deepest pits of woe. And yet, even in this most oppressive darkness, a light remained. The stone at the boy's back stung him to his very core. It tormented him, and called him to fall further into the dark, and yet… there was something else about the stone which forbid it; something which prevented this from happening.

Even in a memory, light can exist. The shadow of what once was can only exist by the light which precedes it. The boy pulled his knees closer, curling closer into himself as if the cold only now had begun to seep into him. Growlithe saw this, and moved to the boy, placing both paws on him as he looked to meet the boy's eyes, hopefully.

"You know…" the boy began, his voice wavering from the cold, "…I don't think… I want to do this anymore…"

Growlithe moved closer, and the boy reached out his arms, pulling Growlithe in and embracing him. He wept into Growlithe's fur, but the Pokémon's warmth seemed to have flared up once again, warming the boy.

After only a short time, the boy, Batou, rose, carrying Growlithe in his arms. He took a few paces, but then turned and gazed one more time at the stone he had been sitting against. The wind and rain stung his face, but he had to see it.

Today was a dark anniversary. Years past, on this very day, Cinnabar Island burned. This stone slab, and the many more like it in this field were the sole testaments to those who did not leave the island; those who never would. These stone markers, more memorial than gravesite stood upon undisturbed earth.

Sometimes, in tragedy a memory is all that is left behind. Whether to be cast down by a memory or to draw strength from it… That is the nature of the story as it ever continues.

* * *

"No…? So he's not there either." A woman nervously crunched up the cord to her phone; a habit that showed her worry clear. A pause as her husband spoke from the other side of the line, and she answered him, "No… No, there's been nothing. …Okay. …Okay, be careful. The roads must be completely washed out. …I know, just, be careful." The opening of the front door caught her attention. "Irvin, wait…"

The woman hastily scrambled to peer around the corner. To her relief, she saw the object of her worry; her son Batou, drenched from the rain, but well. And more importantly, home. "Irvin!" she spoke over the phone, "Irvin he's back! …Thank you." Without proper care she fumbled the phone down on the counter, rushing to the entryway to meet her son. Batou had already removed his shoes, and was about to hang his weather worn jacket. "Thank goodness. Batou, where have you been? You know better than to stay out in this weather!"

There was a pause during which Batou took a breath, but then he turned, and in an embarrassed tone admitted, "Ah…heh… Sorry. I kinda got sidetracked on my way home. Were you worried?"

"Of course we were!" Batou's mother answered, somewhat perturbed that the question would even be asked. "Your father has been out looking for you."

Batou sunk a little at this revelation. "Aw, man… I'm sorry. I really… I had no idea. I didn't think…"

Batou's mother shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. "Honestly. You need to pay attention to these things."

"Sorry. But what's the big deal? I mean, ten year olds go out on grand adventures all the time!"

"What kind of awful parent would think **that's** a good idea!? No, not all the time, and no, that's **not** okay!"

"…Growlithe was with me. Nothing bad was going to happen."

Growlithe sat at Batou's feet, puffing out its chest in an expression of quiet dignity.

"And besides," Batou added, "I'm not a kid anymore. I think I can walk down the street without an escort."

Batou's mother shook her head sternly. "You don't know that, Batou! There're a lot of sick people in the world. With all the abductions recently, you can't afford to be reckless!"

* * *

_At the time, the world was already in the grip of something of an epidemic. Over the past year, an unusual number of people had mysteriously vanished. The matter had become such a widespread concern that news reports were saying that the international police were consorting with local authorities to combat the threat, but the same thing was happening in nearly every corner of the globe. Doom cults, conspiracy theorists, and 'alien emissaries' were all coming out of the woodwork to offer the answer, but the truth is no one knew what was going on. People were afraid._

_ …__Threats like that… They are another reason for the existence of this institute as well._

* * *

Batou shook his head, a grin spreading across his face as he remarked, "I'm pretty sure even psychos and perverts wouldn't be out in this weather…"

The boy's mother folded her arms. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean… it's just dumb to… be… out…" He thought he had more to say, but Batou found his words trailing off.

"Gre-li…" Growlithe barked with something of a smirk.

Batou paused, casting an eye over Growlithe before returning his attention to his mother. "I'm so sorry…"

For a moment, it seemed as the woman might say more, but instead she quietly took a breath and nodded. "Apology accepted. Now go wash up before you track up the house."

Batou nodded, offering a small smile. "Right! Thanks. I think I'm going to head off to bed when that's done."

"Already? But, what ab-"

"I already ate. Night!" With that, Batou cheerfully charged up the stairs to the second floor.

"Oh…? …A-lright…" Hardly having a moment more to get in a word, Batou's mother was left alone. Only a moment longer however and a shuffling beyond the front door caused the woman to instinctively back away. The door opened, stopping just short of slamming into the wall as Irvin quite literally came tumbling into the room. He slipped on the welcome mat, finding himself airborne a split second after entering, but before he could take a nasty fall he stopped, suspended in the air.

"Batou? Is he? Emma, is he here!?" The act of presently being levitated through the air didn't seem to surprise him much at all. Actually, he had gotten used to it long ago.

Emma smirked, shaking her head. "It's more a miracle _you_ made it back safely. He's fine Irvin."

This seemed to calm Irvin some. "Good, good. He's...- hey, wait! What is that supposed to mean?"

"Reu-neu!" An odd, alien looking Pokémon hovered through the door, floating around Irvin to hover by Emma's side.

Emma laughed as a small grin spread across her face, drawing out a pokéball from her pocket. "Nothing to worry about, dear." She held the pokéball in her hand out to her pokemon, a small beam of light appearing from it and making contact with the creature. "Thank you Reuniclus. I'll be sure to repay you for all of your hard work in the morning."

"Niclus!" came the Pokémon's affectionate reply. She then disappeared in a flash, returning to her pokéball.

Irvin stumbled as the force which had been supporting him vanished, but by now was able to keep his feet beneath him. After taking a moment to ascertain that he was, in fact, firmly standing, he turned to his wife, folding his arms with a pout. "I still think Machoke would have been more helpful…"

Emma blinked in concern. "You didn't try to call out Machoke, did you?"

Irvin huffed. "No… You made it very clear not to do that…"

Emma sighed in relief. "Oh good… Because I had asked Reuniclus to do some very 'not nice' things to him if you brought him out."

"You- w-wh-wh-…**WHAAAAT!?**"

"Hm…?"

"Why did you-…!? Wh-why… would you do that!?"

"Because **I** got stuck staying home waiting while you pranced off to complete your 'fatherly duty'! I had enough to worry about without you and Machoke 'bro stomping' your way through town!" This time, Emma was the one who pouted. "…And because I wanted to be the hero, but someone had to stay home…"

"…Wow… You are really bitter about this, aren't you?"

Emma scoffed. "It's your fault."

"I-I… concede that…" Irvin ran his fingers through his normally wild brown hair, but was somehow surprised to find it wet and matted from the wind and rain. Ignoring that, he said, "Alright. I promise, the next time there's a torrential downpour, you can be the hero, and I'll be the responsible one!"

Emma threw a mock punch at Irvin's shoulder. "I'll hold you to that."

Irvin recoiled at the blow. "Ow… Hey, watch it; I bruise easy," he said with a surprisingly earnest tone.

"Tee-hee… You are so not cool…" Emma remarked with a grin.

Irvin smiled softly, still rubbing his shoulder. "Maybe I'm not. …But as long as I have you to watch out for me when I fall, I think I'm okay with that."

* * *

When he awoke the next morning, Batou eagerly went about his morning routine, making his bed, washing up, eating breakfast, etc. The rest had rejuvenated his spirit, though there was something else too… He had fallen asleep considering it, and awoke with it heavily on his mind.

Deciding it best to hurry before he began to second guess himself, Batou was about to reach the door and be on his way, but was stopped by his father calling him. "Ho, Batou!?" A moment later, Irvin came bursting through the door from the lab and into the entryway. "Ah, there you are."

"Hey dad. What's up?"

"Up… Hm… Er, that is… Batou, you're heading off to the dojo, right?"

Batou nodded. "I do most days, dad…" he answered with a smirk.

"Ah, good. Would you mind waiting a moment? I have something for Asuma."

"For Sensei?"

"Yeah," Irvin answered, having already started back toward his lab. He disappeared through the doors for a moment, before returning, a small case in his hands and carrying on the conversation like he'd never left. "Just a little project Asuma and I have been working on. It should be… ready, now…"

"Why don't you sound very assuring of that…?"

Irvin paused, reflecting for a moment. "Something just… feels off about this project…" Another pause and he elaborated, "It's just that… it didn't explode. I feel… ah, what's the word…? Well, I feel like it ought to have exploded. The process seems hollow otherwise."

Batou couldn't help but shirk back from the case in his father's hands. "I-is it supposed to explode…?"

"Hm… No, no, of course not."

"Then why would you be upset over something like that!?"

Irvin let out a drawn out sigh. "You just wouldn't understand…" He held out the case to Batou. "Either way, it'd be a big help if you could get this to Asuma."

"…Sure…" Batou answered slowly. "But it'd better not explode…"

"Heh. Come on. That was one time…"

"Once is enough! And you've blown stuff up a lot more than once!"

"Yeah, but I only blew up something I gave to-aaah…" Irvin seemed struck dumb as realization suddenly dawned on him. "…I am a horrible father…"

"N-no. No, you're fine, dad… It was a little explosion… I-It's fine, really." _Ah… darn… I hope he doesn't get all mopey while I'm gone…_ Taking the case, Batou opened the door and made his way out, calling back as he did, "Don't worry dad; its fine. Remember: science! See ya!"

Irvin seemed to consider this, but Batou had already made his way down the street before the conversation could continue any further.

* * *

The dojo was bustling with activity today. There weren't any formal lessons planned until the evening, but it was a weekend, which meant there were a lot of younger students, and adult ones for that matter, who had an open schedule and felt like spending time together with friends and their Pokémon. The dojo happened to be a good place for just that. Sensei Asuma was well respected within the local community, and knowing their children were at his dojo gave the parents peace of mind. As for the adult students, the appeal was likely largely attributed to a rumor that Sensei Asuma was secretly part of a ninja clan, and would recruit promising pupils and their Pokémon to join. …They try to hide it so, but often times the only real difference between adults and children is a mild height difference…

Of course, as far as Batou was concerned such rumors were only that. Baseless rumors; all for fun. Sensei Asuma was about four times his age, yet Batou counted him as a friend as well as a teacher. He'd known the man for as long as he could remember, and had come to view him with a great deal of respect.

Making his way past the various groups conversing amongst themselves and training together, Batou found Asuma at his usual spot at the head of the dojo, kneeling on a comfortable mat from which he could watch over his pupils. Presently however, the master's attention was drawn to another figure entirely; Asuma's grandson, Tsuna, was busily showing off his new action figure. Asuma smiled as his grandson adamantly rattled off a list of the toy's features, but something about his expression made it clear that he had no idea, nor interest in what he was being told.

The moment he noticed Batou's presence, Asuma called out to him (almost pleadingly), "Batou! Ah, good to see you. A bit earlier than I expected, though a pleasant surprise."

"Grow-lithe!" barked Batou's companion cheerily.

"Oh-ho! And you too Growlithe, as always," responded Asuma, affectionately scratching the back of the Pokémon's head as it came near.

As for Tsuna, he didn't seem too disappointed by the sudden change in his grandfather's attention. Rather, his eyes lit up at seeing Batou, clearly glad to have another person to show his new toy off to. "Hey! Batou! Batou, look!" the boy cried out, eagerly holding up his prize for Batou to see.

"Whoa," Batou spoke as he lowered himself to one knee to get a better look at the toy, as well as to meet eye level with Tsuna. "Mecha GranDialga Fighter Mode! Where…!? Where did you get this!? They don't even sell these in Kanto!"

"Imported it!"

"Cool. …W-wait, how much did that cost?"

Tsuna blinked for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I dunno…"

_Geez… Some parents will buy their kids anything. …And… am I actually jealous of a kid? …Yes. Very jealous._ "He-heh… Well, that's awesome Tsuna! Just be careful with it. Don't let Growlithe singe it or anything."

Growlithe raised an eyebrow at the remark, but was clearly enjoying Asuma's attention, which had now shifted to scratching the Pokémon's belly as he lay on the floor, far too much to care.

Tsuna on the other hand glared warily at the Pokémon. "He'd _better_ not!"

Batou grinned broadly as he laughed at the boy's response.

"So, Batou?" Asuma asked, noticing the case Batou had brought with him. "What have you brought with you? Something from your father?" He hid it well, but the man almost seemed excited.

Batou grinned, teasingly. "Why? Expecting a new toy?"

Asuma chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I am. Something of a project your father and I have been working on."

_It takes a lot to get Sensei excited. Weird though… He's not usually into technology. Really, he seems to go out of his way to avoid it…_ "I'm starting to get curious as to what that project is," Batou said, handing over the case to Asuma. "I'd never heard of it before today."

Again, Asuma chuckled, resting his hand on the case, feeling the latch but leaving it shut. "Yes, well… It is something of a secret…" He seemed to consider his words for a moment. "Though I believe it may be a secret worth showing you."

"Yeah!" Batou answered, excitedly. Growlithe seemed to smirk a little at this.

"Me too! Me too; I wanna see too, granpa!" Tsuna chimed in.

Asuma frowned. "No Tsuna. Not you too."

"Why not!?" the boy exclaimed, almost shouting.

"H-hey, come on…" Batou stuttered, trying to mediate the child's temper. "I'm sure it's really just a dumb case anyway… I-in fact, maybe I don't want to see it either… We can go watch the Mecha Gran Special. …Or something… I have it recorded at home, and I still haven't seen it."

Growlithe rolled his eyes. Batou was being completely transparent. He never was very good at fibbing.

Asuma groaned. "Shush you, Batou…" Turning to Tsuna with a kindly, but firm gaze he explained, "Tsuna, you have other matters. Your mother will be by to take you home long before I can open this case."

"Eh? Can't you just open it now?" The thought had made Batou a bit downcast, and he realized too late that suggesting such probably wouldn't help matters with Tsuna.

"Unfortunately…" Asuma began, choosing his words carefully, "I have obligations to see to." Placing the case down next to him, as if to accentuate his words, he firmly stated, "It can wait."

Batou grimaced. _Ah… Drat… I guess I'm not going to have much else to do today…_

Asuma's explanation did little to settle Tsuna, and the boy fussed and protested for a time. Eventually, Batou and Growlithe were able to distract him from the subject, and the three waited out the day together.

* * *

"Why are we going down here?"

The day had passed slowly. Eventually, the lessons and usual business of the dojo had finished, and the crowds dispersed and went home, Tsuna as well. It was now late evening. Batou and Asuma were the only two who remained at the dojo.

"The nature of our purpose necessitates it. This is the safest place."

The two of them were making their way to a room called the 'Battleground'; a rocky field beneath the dojo used for a variety of purposes: most typically Pokémon battles and full contact Martial Pokémon Fighter duels. Due to the numerous other fields for conducting the former, and the more high risk nature of the latter, the Battleground doesn't see much use.

* * *

_It's ironic really. Asuma's martial school teaches the art of battling beside one's Pokémon in a very literal sense. The idea, as I'm sure many of you know, is that through fighting and training side by side, Pokémon and humans can forge stronger bonds than they otherwise could. While it's arguable whether this philosophy holds any truth to it, experience has shown that it is an acceptable method of training for forging a strong connection with one's Pokémon._

_It should come as no surprise then that many of the principles of Asuma's art have been incorporated into our own institute's creed and study. …I suppose I'm getting a bit off track. As I was saying though, it is ironic that even though the apparent focus of Asuma's school is for Pokémon and humans to fight side by side, such duels only rarely occurred, and would only occur among the most advanced of practitioners. People simply can't keep up with Pokémon. They're not as strong, nor as fast, nor as durable. This is probably why the art has not seen wide attention._

_ …__Don't get the wrong idea. Virtue is a core principle of Asuma's teachings. Respect for your partner, and your opponents is critical. Without that, there is very little difference between Martial Pokémon Fighters, and common thugs and street fighters. It sounds flimsy to explain… But I for one… see the virtue in fighting beside my friends, rather than merely watching from a distance…_

* * *

The Battleground had a very natural, cavernous look to it. Rock formations impose themselves at random points on the map, and the walls were largely rock (which while likely not natural, gave a very convincing illusion of such). The only real sign of modernity were the high powered lights which illuminated the field.

Batou scrutinized Asuma as the arrived. Asuma was not a frail man. When watching over his students, there was something unassuming about him. You could almost believe he was a simple, kindly old man. Truthfully, if age had slowed him at all, then Asuma must have been a truly powerful figure in his youth. His plain clothes hid his build, but his strength always seemed to shine through when he demonstrated techniques for his students. Even after his hair had turned white, it remained full, and very clean.

Now though, Asuma almost seemed youthful. He kept a firm grasp on the mystery case, which only increased Batou's curiosity as to its contents. He was about to ask about it once again, but a nudge at his leg drew his attention to Growlithe instead. Always by his side, Batou's companion's meaning seemed clear enough. A reminder that patience may sometimes serve better than haste.

Indeed, Growlithe's instincts appeared to be correct. Nearing the edge of the marked out battlefield, Asuma lowered, and began to tinker with the case's latch. As the case's locks flicked open, he took a deep breath. Batou found himself staring over Asuma's shoulder, his curiosity having effectively consumed him. In a slow, solid motion, Asuma opened the case, revealing its contents.

For a moment, Batou was perplexed. The case wasn't very large, so he knew it couldn't have been anything very big, but seeing it now… All the hype seemed a little much. There before them, sat a pair of seemingly ordinary gloves. Batou might have thought it a joke at his expense if not for the look of profound awe that remained on Asuma's face.

In fact, Asuma seemed to need a moment to steady himself. Letting out a deep breath, he asked Batou, "You have no idea what this is, do you?"

"Not a clue…" came Batou's blunt reply.

"Grow-…" Growlithe's low growl caused Batou to remember his partner. It seemed Growlithe was just as interested in the contents of the case as Batou, and was now feeling thoroughly underwhelmed…

Asuma shook his head, apparently deciding the time for awe was over. He swept up the gloves as he stood upright, drawing them onto each hand as he explained. "Understand that this is something of a curious matter. It is… difficult to fully explain, or to comprehend. Even I sometimes wonder how well I grasp the principles of this thing…"

"You're building this up a lot," Batou quipped with a grimace. "The last time you did that, the result was a pair of gloves."

Asuma smirked, motioning toward Growlithe. "It is a very foolish thing to judge something by innocuous appearances."

"Growli?" the Pokémon questioned, tilting his head slightly at the motion.

Asuma thought for a moment, pondering how best to describe what he was getting at. "It is a power called 'Aura'." The blank expression on Batou's face (and Growlithe's) was all Asuma needed to continue his explanation. "Aura is a collective term. Certain Pokémon have the ability to see, sense, or feel the Aura all around them. They can even sense it in others, and may use this to determine worth, or hostility. They can even control this power, using it in their attacks. It is a little known fact that sometimes, humans can possess some small bit of this power as well."

"W-wait. I'm confused… This 'Aura'? What does it actually _do_? I mean, what good is it?"

A dark look crosses Asuma's face, though only for a brief moment. "I often wonder as much myself…" Then turning away, he explained, "I don't know if this research will be useful… or even _good_ for that matter… But I have my reasons for looking into it. And, I trust your father. He won't see this technology abused."

Batou folded his arms as he tried to process this explanation. "So, basically… if I'm reading into this right… You think those gloves will let you manipulate this Aura power, right?"

"That's right. It's beyond most people to even attempt to control Aura. With any luck, these gloves will be enough of a crutch to manage it."

Silence fell among them. The truth was, neither Batou nor Growlithe had anything to say. This entire explanation was completely out of the blue, and now Batou finds that his own father had been researching it? He still wasn't even sure what such a power could do. In short, he had no idea what to make of it.

At last, the silence was broken as Asuma spoke again, turning to Batou. "I'm going to test it. I want you and Growlithe to stand back, in case things don't work as expected."

"…Huh? Oh, sure… Just, be careful, whatever you're trying to do." Still in a daze trying to understand everything, Batou and Growlithe retreated, leaving Asuma as he made his way to the middle of the field.

Asuma's attention was drawn to a particular pillar of rock within the field. It was obvious that his pulse was racing. This was the moment where it all came together. If nothing happened, he'd end up just looking like a mildly crazed old guy in a stylish martial ensemble. But more than that, it was clear that this Aura business meant something to him.

Batou watched as Asuma stood before the pillar of rock. The old man lowered himself into a fighting stance, but he was still several feet away from the pillar. He couldn't strike at the stone from such a distance, and Batou wondered if he intended to close the gap and then strike it. Such thoughts showed how little he understood the full potential of what had been explained to him.

For minutes, Asuma stood in a state of focus, yet Batou could see no change in anything. The initial surprise at the nature of Asuma's business was beginning to wear off. Starting to lose his focus, Batou almost missed it when something did change. It was faint at first, but it was definitely there.

In the palm of his hand, Asuma held a faint, blue orb, about the size of a marble. Batou might not have even noticed it, but for that it was glowing. The light was faint, but as he watched it grew brighter and brighter, and the marble in Asuma's hand grew with it. Soon it filled his entire palm, and Batou began to realize that it was not some mere physical orb which the man held, but a manifestation of pure energy. It was only then that Batou began to grasp what Aura truly was.

Asuma seemed to have reached his limit. In one fluid motion, he swung his arm forward, and the orb propelled forth, swerving unnaturally through the air, yet it made its way toward its target. With an echoing crash the orb collided with the pillar of rock, and Batou instinctively reeled back, shielding his eyes. But no great explosion, nor flash of light came. The orb collided with the rock, and while it did burst, the impact was not so great as Batou feared. The sound resonated through the chamber, but the stone appeared largely undamaged.

The echo faded, and silence overtook the field, yet even silence soon gave way, fading before a cry of jubilation. Asuma cheered. "Batou! Did you see!? It worked! It really worked!"

Batou was dumbstruck. Growlithe simply sat by Batou's feet, mouth agape, apparently having failed to move since witnessing Asuma's display. "Y-yeah," Batou responded at length. "I saw it… …I don't know what I saw. But that was definitely… a thing…"

By now, Asuma had closed the distance to Batou. He seemed too overjoyed to mind Batou's dumb stare. "We shouldn't wait! Irvin should know of this result. Haha! I'm sure he will be thrilled!"

Asuma kept going on. He repeated his cries of joy over and over. He didn't seem to mind Batou's silence, or perhaps he didn't notice. Either way, Batou barely heard him. He knew that he had just witnessed something extraordinary. Something beyond the scope of what might be common or even conventionally thought possible. Even as the sheer surprise waned, Batou knew. This would be yet another moment bound for eternity. The world turned for moments like these, and he couldn't help but wonder how it would affect him.

And with a sick feeling, Batou realized how selfish that was…

* * *

"Amazing! A-and you say you were able to _throw_ this Auric Sphere?"

"Yes. It was precisely as I had envisioned it." Asuma seemed to have recovered some from his initial jubilation, now that they had finally reached the Holland's labs.

Irvin continued his questioning. "And Batou saw this? It wasn'-"

"I assure you I'm quite sane, as Batou can attest, Irvin. Aura manipulation is possible, as I always knew it was."

Emma stood across from her husband and Asuma, something of an _odd_ expression upon her face. "You made a pair of gloves. …Gloves that allow you… to shoot balls of ki… I'm not sure whether to be impressed, or roll my eyes…"

"Well, it is kinda impressive…" Batou offered. Emma rolled her eyes.

Irvin practically jumped in glee. "You know what this means, don't you? If assisted Aura manipulation is possible, then theoretically, unassisted Aura powers are also within the scope of possibility."

"I know, Irvin," Asuma answered. "I've always known…" Batou was beginning to understand how Asuma must have felt. Even if he did know this was possible, who could he tell without them thinking he was crazy? …Well, Irvin, apparently… Now he had proof. It must be like finally having his sanity confirmed.

"Oh, but there's so much! So much more to learn now; I-I don't even know where to begin!" Irvin exclaimed.

"It will be important to first understand the scope of these powers," Emma offered. "You've caught my interest, for now at least. I'll offer my support for this little project of yours."

Irvin crossed the gap to his wife in a practical blur of motion, wrapping her in a sincere, if not all together dignified hug. "You, are, so beautiful… you know that?"

Emma cast a hard look at her husband before his insistent hugging caused her to give way to a caring smirk instead. "Yes, well… I'll need the chance to study some known Pokémon with this power on my end. I should have some contacts who can help me out with that, actually."

"As for me," Irvin began excitedly (after releasing Emma from his embrace so suddenly that she nearly fell over), "I'd love to get a firsthand look at this power in action. If you'd be willing, Mister Asuma."

To his surprise, Batou sensed a change in Asuma's temperament. It was subtle. He didn't think anyone else caught it, but just for a moment, Asuma seemed sad. "Yes… Of course Irvin, but it is late. I really should retire for the evening."

"Ah, right! Of course, I knew that! It can wait; I can totally… keep busy… with…" Irvin trailed off. He was clearly trying very hard to think of some way to pretend he had other things to worry about.

"I won't keep you any longer. Thank you, Irvin. I can't tell you how much this means to me." Asuma's words were so calm and sincere. Batou didn't doubt them, but it was still the same sense; that there was sadness behind those words.

With that, Asuma politely excused himself, and appropriate farewells were given. Batou followed Asuma as he left through the front door. "Sensei. I'll walk you home! Growlithe and I could use the fresh air!"

"Growli!" Growlithe barked in affirmation.

Asuma smiled knowingly, stopping for a moment to look at Batou as they continued on. "Oh? Is that really all?"

Batou paused for a moment, but then decided to ask outright. "Sensei, is something the matter? You seemed so happy before."

Asuma closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them and gazing up at the stars. "It's hard to believe it's been over thirty years now…"

"Huh?" …Batou clearly wasn't getting enough context to follow Asuma's line of thought.

"Batou, how long do you think I've sought this power?"

"Aaah… thirty years…?"

Asuma smirked. "Someone once told me… They said my ideals were wrong, and that all I was really doing was using both my Pokémon and my own body as nothing more than weapons like a common thug."

Batou gave a start. He was completely shocked to hear such a thing, and stammered to his master's defense, "B-but, that's just not true! I've never seen someone treat people or Pokémon with as much kindness and generosity as you, Sensei."

"Please, Batou. You don't need to pander to me. I know who I am, and I've never stopped believing in my ideals." Asuma paused. He seemed to be reflecting on something. "She told me… This power… Aura. It allows her to be strong. That her strength was all she needed, and that it would bring her both honor and victory. She put so much faith; put so much of herself into this power. I tried, so many times, but I could never reach her. And then, she was gone…"

"Gone? …A-as in…?"

"On a journey. I don't know where she is now. The truth is, I could never understand… In the end, no matter what argument I made, it was always the same. I didn't have the power of Aura. And so, I couldn't understand… Thirty years, and now that I have it. Now that I have that power in my hands, I want to run out into those stars. I want to find her, and tell her that she's wrong. This power… it's nothing compared to what I have with my Pokémon. I want to tell her… I want her to know what she's missing out on in her devotion to this power. And for once, I want to stand up, right to her face, and tell her that she's wrong, and she's been wrong for these past thirty years!

"But then your father reminded me just now how truly selfish I was being. …And petty… The truth is, I have only the flimsiest grasp of this power, and even then I wasn't giving it a chance. Part of me wants to know how far it can go. How far I can go. But the other part of me knows better. The other part of me is fearful of what I could become. But if I am to… if I am to stand before her, I cannot do so blindly. I need to acknowledge my faults, and shortcomings, and I need to give this a chance. I need to open myself up to the possibility that all this time, maybe… Maybe it was me who was wrong. Maybe she was right, not about everything, but about some of it at least. Maybe there really is a better way? …And this whole time I've been blind to it."

"But… that's wrong, isn't it!?" Batou shouted, possibly a bit louder than he ought to, though not in anger but with conviction. "Sensei, I've known you for pretty much my whole life. I can't imagine you being so… completely wrong about… you know… Your, martial identity!"

"Batou, a wise man has no presumptions. He is always ready to question his ideals, his convictions, his beliefs. Because questioning these things does not weaken them. If they can withstand scrutiny, and doubt, they are proven stronger, time and again. A wise man does not fear, or shirk away from questioning all that he is. He embraces it. Because we are not absolutes."

Batou could think of nothing to say to this. Something about what Asuma was saying however… just felt so wrong to him. He couldn't accept it.

Asuma continued. "I can wait. I've waited thirty years. A bit longer isn't so bad. I pride myself as a man who can put duty above his personal desires. Regardless of what I want here, there is a right way to do… everything. Your father is right. This power of Aura needs to be studied. And I… I need to understand it myself, if I am to face her. I may want to go, but what I need is to stay…"

With that, the two of them continued for a time in silence. Growlithe followed along, but was seemingly at as much of a loss as Batou. Batou couldn't accept this. It just felt wrong, and the worst part was he didn't even understand why. So much of what was happening was ephemeral and alien to him. He could argue against none of it. After all, he barely even understood much of it.

But then a thought occurred to him. There was something else. Something which could satisfy both him, and Asuma. He had nowhere else to go, at least. He might as well ask. "Asuma. …This person, with whom you disagree… Maybe… Maybe I can find her."

Asuma raised an eyebrow. "What is it that you mean?"

"I-it's just that… I'd… been thinking lately… I've been wanting to… Well, I guess I'd been wanting to go on a journey myself."

Asuma said nothing. In a way, Batou felt he understood. There was no need to go into the why.

"I figure, if I'm out and about anyway, maybe if I were to happen to find some sign of this woman… maybe I could let her… Well, just, remind her of you. And that you haven't forgotten."

Asuma closed his eyes. Batou had come to recognize it as a sign he was giving something serious thought. This thought seemed to trouble him longer than usual. Finally, he spoke, his words jarring Batou as the silence had begun to set in. "Her name. You can start with that… You are not my proxy… but if you do find her… Please. I hope you find her well."

* * *

_Not long after that night, Batou said his goodbyes to his family, and he departed. He didn't have a destination in mind. Not really. A destination wouldn't have mattered anyway. That night, Batou had originally wanted to prove to himself that he could be strong, and that there was nothing holding him to home any more. He wanted to travel and find his place in the world, but he was worried. That's why he 'needed' proof._

_Batou thought if he could best Asuma in a duel, he could prove to himself he was ready to move on. But due to a twist of fate, he never got the chance. …This is probably for the best. None can be sure of how fate may have changed, but as he was then, it would frankly have been impossible for him to best Asuma. Had he failed, his resolve would have been shattered, and the cycle he had found himself stuck in would repeat._

_In time, Batou would come to realize this himself. Because of this revelation, the power of Aura would take on another meaning in Batou's heart. Aura, for all of its potential, pierced with hope through despair._


	3. Luna Celeson

Chapter 3- Luna Celeson

Fading Light

_And so we near the end of our introduction. Luna Celeson was a student at a private University in Sinnoh. The focus of her studies are not particularly important to this story, though I imagine details will come up as we go along. Really, she was an ordinary student, no different from any of the rest. That is, until tragedy forced her from her comfort zone, and into the wider world._

* * *

Quiet… Time would stand still if not for the ticking clock upon the wall. That infernal device which counts out every moment that will never again return, and laughs at its passing. Luna hated that clock.

Luna sat in bed, a bed which she could never call her own, and stared to the wall. She dared not look at the clock, but its maddening sound remained. The hospital gown she wore was far too loose, like it was meant for someone else. She didn't know if it was supposed to feel that way. Luna couldn't remember ever being in a hospital before. In fact, she could not remember ever having been sick.

The ticking clock persisted, and Luna might have clenched her fist if not for the IV in her hand. Any time she tried, the dull pull of its presence reminded her it was there. She scorned it; what purpose would it serve? It shackled her, and reminded her of her situation. Perhaps it was meant to comfort her? A comforting lie still remained a lie, and a shackle of compassion was still a shackle which bound. If peace was what she was to be brought, she would have preferred the removal of the clock instead.

In her lap sat her only real comfort. Curled into a ball, peaceful in reprieve of his otherwise constant vigil, a small Piplup lay in slumber. Ever since it happened, Piplup had never left Luna's side. Luna knew that he blamed himself. His faithfulness was a comfort, but his sense of guilt was just one more strand of despair which stifled Luna.

The memory never left her. She replayed it over and over within the theater of her mind. Every time, her mistakes were embellished, and shortcomings became more prominent. The purity of the memory had long since been corrupted. But the truth, beyond any memory, remained the same…

* * *

It began three weeks earlier. The Elworth Private Academy had drawn the honor of hosting the year's 'Competition Week'. Universities from all over Sinnoh gathered their students together to compete in a variety of events. It's typically a long way to travel, so the hosting school would always try to make it as much of a spectacle as possible in order to really make the expense worth the effort. This year, the event was exasperated further due to Elworth Acedemy's location, being a two hour drive southwest of Veilstone City. It was secluded, but boasted some of the finest facilities in the region.

Presently, preparations were long past and Competition Week was well underway. Luna had joined a crowd of spectators viewing the Pokémon Riding races. Technically, she was supposed to be cheering, but the crowds felt stifling. There was already enough noise and she saw no need to add to it.

The race was reaching its final laps, and the lead racers were fiercely battling for the lead. A boy from another school riding a Dodrio led the race for a moment, but he seemed to be having trouble keeping a Zebstrika riding boy from overtaking him. The two were so distracted with each other that girl riding a Rhyhorn barreled in between them, none too gently staggering each of them as it came through. Another girl, this one riding a Manectric of all things, took the chance to sneak in behind the Rhyhorn racer, darting around her at the first opportunity to take the lead.

The race was nearing its conclusion, but Luna really didn't expect any of the lead racers to win. "Geez," she murmured to herself. "I get that it's supposed to be strategic, but come on Estelle… You're not doing anything…"

The lead racers were rounding the final turn. The Zebstrika rider seemed like he was breaking ahead. The Pokémon was pushing itself so hard that it seemed to be leaking a trail of sparks. But while the lead racers all struggled for a tight turn, a streak of red flashed along the outside of the track. Running effectively unopposed, a Rapidash made its way through, passing the leads one by one from the outside. When the Rapidash passed the leader, he urged his Zebstrika even harder. Twin tails of flame and sparks made a mad dash for the finish, but by then it was already too late. The Rapidash rider had gained too much ground, and the race ended with no question as to the winner.

Luna shook her head. "Predictable, as always." A cacophony of cheers were nearly drowned out by the roar from the supporters of the runner ups. Luna grimaced as the noise rattled her to her core.

Eventually the roar died down, and awards were handed out. The victor, a pretty, violet haired girl smiled with glee as she received her first prize trophy. It wasn't anything especially fancy, but for all the trouble that organizing these events were, it certainly looked nice. But there were a great many other events during the course of the week, and they all needed proper prize for the winners.

Judging from the crowd, the winner wasn't a fan favorite. Elworth Private Academy had a poor reputation among its peers, viewed as 'That Academy for Snooty Rich Kids'. In this particular girl's case, it was even worse. Her family name received her a certain degree of devotion and admiration from some of her peers, but many others took it as an excuse to hate and ridicule her. Either way, Luna was happy for her friend. She knew she could hear the jeers and cheers alike, but she wouldn't let them bother her, the positive or the negative. Regardless of what others might say of her, Estelle Elworth carried herself with dignity and grace.

* * *

Luna waited for Estelle in the relative quiet behind the changing rooms. She could still hear the crowds, but it was a much more muted sound, allowing her time to enjoy her book, a fantastical example of modern fantasy about a girl who transformed into a magical warrior of light, battling evil entities from a dark magical world fallen into chaos! It seemed like a good opportunity to allow her Pokémon out to play, so while she sat under a tree enjoying her book, a Shinx and Vibrava darted between the trees nearby as they hid from an increasingly frustrated Piplup who was apparently 'it'.

Vibrava was a particularly noisy hider, but on the other hand, there was very little Piplup could actually do to catch her. Piplup's flawed attempts to do so were met with the cackles of the unseen Shinx, which only seemed to frustrate the poor creature more. Deciding it better to chase the landlocked Shinx, Piplup darted toward what it perceived was the direction of Shinx's laughter. Bursting through a bush, Piplup fell flat on its face, brought low by a mean spirited knot tied in the branches. Shinx's chuckle sounded from the opposite direction, but Piplup was able to recover quickly, catching sight of Shinx before he could disappear behind another tree.

"Pi plup!" shouted Piplup, pointing his wing at Shinx.

"Shi-!?" cried out a startled Shinx. The moment of hesitation passed, and when he realized Piplup was already bounding toward him he darted away, forgoing stealth for speed.

Knowing he couldn't catch Shinx on his own, Piplup fired a bubble ahead of Shinx. The crash as the sphere detonated against the terrain startled Shinx more, causing him to veer in a separate direction. "Pi-piplup…" Piplup remarked with a devilish glint in his eye. Piplup kept up the assault, tactically herding Shinx toward (what he believed would be) his master stroke!

Meanwhile, Luna was growing increasingly irked by the noise her Pokémon were making. She had explicitly told them to play quietly. Taking a deep breath, Luna calmed herself. _Remember, they're only children… Well, they're like children… Calm, and rational… Just explain to them that they're making too much noise… and they'll stop… No need to get angry…_

Unfortunately, while Luna was assuring herself of this, Shinx strayed a little too close to her. An overzealous Piplup didn't think where his next shot would strike, and another bubble was loosed. Without realizing any of this was happening, Luna suddenly felt her book torn from her hands. Or rather, she felt her book torn **in **her hands. Taken completely by surprise, Luna could only stare forward in disbelief as the book she was holding exploded. Two chunks remained in each of her hands, but the air around her was filled with the soggy, shredded remains of 'A Day in the Life of an Everyday Magical Girl'.

Luna stammered in shock. She could think of nothing to say, and yet without having to say a word everything went quiet. Vibrava landed before her, making a low, worried, sympathetic tone. For their part, Shinx and Piplup stared on in utter horror.

Finally overcoming the initial shock, Luna let the last scraps of paper fall to the ground. Standing, she turned to her Pokémon with a dark shade cast across her face. Narrowing her gaze to a fine point, she thrust it straight at Piplup. "Piplup," she uttered in a horrifying tone. "…Come over here…."

"P-p-pi-plu… P-pluu," Piplup stammered, tears forming around the rims of his eyes.

Luna slanted her head. It only made her look more terrifying. "What's wrong…? Do you want me to come over there…?"

"P-p-pluuuu!"

"Oh?" Luna paused. "Heh… You don't think I'm mad, do you?"

"P-…Pi-…plu?"

"…You know…" Luna took a deep breath. "…Of **course I'm angry you little s-**"

"Luna!?"

"Erk?" Luna turned to see that Estelle had finally arrived. She wondered for a moment how long she'd been standing there. She'd changed out of her riding gear and was now wearing a more casual, feminine drape over her blouse and white skirt. An odd, out of place cowboy hat rested on her head.

Seeing Estelle, Piplup rushed toward her. He cried out, "Pi-plu pluu!" with tears in his eyes as he jumped into Estelle's arms.

"Ack!? Traitor!" Luna cried out indignantly.

"M-my! Poor thing… It's alright," Estelle cooed comfortingly.

"You're a traitor too!"

Estelle couldn't help but smile with a faint chuckle. "Oh, Luna… What am I going to do with you? You really need to be more gentle."

"I'm **being** gentle!" Luna shouted in reply. She decided to leave the 'I haven't hit anyone yet' of her thoughts out of her spoken word.

Estelle cuddled Piplup defensively against her chest. "Luna! You're scaring them! Now calm down, please."

Luna grit her teeth, her arms trembling as she reminded herself not to clench a fist. "Erk…gack, chsk…Gagh…!" Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out. "But Piplup ruined my book…" she whined, indignant, but calmer.

Estelle looked at Piplup with a smirk. Piplup couldn't seem to make eye contact. Turning to Luna, she explained, "Luna, you're their trainer. It's up to you to be a responsible person your Pokémon can look up to. It's okay to get mad, but you shouldn't let your anger pass judgment for you." She handed Piplup over to Luna as she explained, "They can understand you, so you shouldn't talk to them any differently than your friends. But at the same time, your Pokémon are your direct responsibility. It's up to you to care for them, and lead them to a brighter future."

Luna struck Piplup firmly on the head with two fingers. "You shouldn't break things," she said flatly.

"Pi-piplup," Piplup answered through a slight welling of tears as he held the top of his head.

"Were you even listening to me?" Estelle asked in annoyance.

"Hey, you have your way, I have mine," Luna answered unapologetically.

Estelle shrugged her shoulders. "Is that all?"

"Yes. …Well," Luna thought for a moment, holding Piplup out in front of her. "You need to be more careful. Think about how your actions affect other people every once in a while."

"Pi-piplup…"

"Seriously, a little to the right and that death ball of yours would have killed me."

"Piiii!? Piplup pluu, pluu!" Piplup cried, flailing about apologetically.

Luna paused for a moment. "Still, I guess I was a little harsh. I shouldn't have yelled at you. …I'm sorry."

"Pii? …Pi-plu pi-piplup."

"Awww," Estelle cooed with a happy smile.

"Don't start that… Let's go. I'm going to go buy my book again. You want anything?"

Estelle continued to smile. It was that queer smile of someone who thought they saw something others didn't. "Nothing at all."

* * *

Luna shuddered. "You ever get that creepy feeling you're being watched?"

"Yes. It's unnerving, but it just can't be helped I suppose."

It took a moment for Estelle's answer to register with Luna. The response roused her idle mind to attention. "W-wait, what? Seriously?"

Estelle nodded. "I always have that feeling, so I guess I've gotten used to it."

"That's creepy Estelle…"

Estelle huffed. "Of course it is. You said so yourself when you asked. I'm not going to lie about it."

"Oo-kay. Setting aside a level of paranoia that puts my idle questioning to shame, what do you want to do after this?" The two had already visited a bookstore to replace Luna's book, and purchased some odds and ends from the other local stores. They were now at an ice cream parlour, Luna enjoying a needlessly complicated blend of ice cream and fruit additives, while Estelle daintily nursed a small bowel of vanilla ice cream.

"I'd like to get in some fencing practice before it gets too late."

"Oh yeah… You're competing in that too…"

"You'll be there won't you? It's always assuring to have at least one friend in your corner."

Luna grimaced. "I-It can't be that important, can it…? I'm sure you'll win."

"Luna? Don't tell me you're abandoning me?"

"I'm not abandoning, it's just… you're in a lot of clubs…"

"I'm not in that many…" Estelle retorted, looking mildly hurt by the claim.

"I already saw your Pokémon Riding competition, and the Chess Tournament before that!" _And that took most of the day on its own…_

"And weren't they exciting? The finale of that last match was absolutely brilliant! It's been so long since I've had such a wonderful game."

_She's talking about the chess thing isn't she…? I didn't even understand what was going on through most of that…_ "It's just all a… little slow, that's all…"

"Well, you needn't worry of that. Fencing is a very active sport. I'm sure you'll love it!"

_What's a nice way of saying that I just don't care about these things…?_ The truth is Luna didn't have an interest in many of Estelle's hobbies. She'd tried fencing once at Estelle's urging, and while she wasn't completely opposed to it, she'd never bothered to pursue it any further. Most importantly, being an idle spectator was always boring for her. She didn't want to hurt Estelle's feelings, but she didn't want to sit through hours of watch people poke each other with sticks either. Rather than give an answer one way or the other, Luna grunted ambiguously to Estelle's urging.

Not easily fooled by this, Estelle pressed on. "Please Luna. It would really mean a lot to me if you could be there."

Luna sighed. She didn't understand why Estelle cared so much. It's not like she didn't have other friends… But it was clear that she meant what she said. For whatever reason, it was important that Luna be there to cheer her on. "Alright, fine. I'll be there."

"You promise?"

"I promise; there's no need to worry."

Estelle perked up a bit, smiling brightly at this. "Good! Thank you Luna."

"It's fine. You're my friend, so of course I'll be happy to cheer you on." _It's the hours of waiting for your matches that irk me…_

Stepping out of the ice cream parlour after having finished eating, Luna's attention was drawn to a group of boys standing near the parlour's windows. Two older boys whom were probably in town for the Academy's Competition Week were hovering menacingly over a much younger boy, his back to the wall. The young boy looked to be only about eight years old, and had a very greasy, unkempt look, his black hair a matted mess. He glared up at the two older boys defiantly.

Turning with a shrug, Luna was about to continue on, but before she could even put her foot forward realization struck her. No sooner had the thought occurred to her than it was confirmed, as her companion's voice called out in a stern tone, "What do you two think you're doing?"

Luna's shoulders sunk immediately. Turning with a groan, she saw Estelle casting a harsh look at the two older boys, who each slowly turned in surprise. "Hey, back off. This doesn't concern you," said one of them.

"Actually it concerns me a great deal. Are you bullying that boy? Unhand him immediately," Estelle retorted. Her voice bore an authority to it, and one of the boys stammered for a moment.

"H-hey, we don't want any trouble."

The young boy let out a huff. "Stupid. You already found it."

"W-what did you-?"

"Quiet!" shouted the other boy at his friend, who happened to be holding the young boy by the shoulder. "We don't need to explain anything to you, girlie. Just keep walkin'."

Luna really didn't want to get involved, but she knew there was no way Estelle was going to walk away. "Hang on. What'd the kid do to provoke you?"

It was actually the 'kid' who answered first. "Stupid didn't like the way I look. He thought hitting me would fix that."

"Lying brat! That's not what happened!" shouted the boy holding the kid, shoving the child into the wall.

"Strike him, and I will put you on the ground," Estelle explained with a firm voice. Luna couldn't help but sigh, hanging her head in her palm.

"There's no need for that! We're really not-"

The more reasonable of the duo was cut off by his aggressive friend. "I'd like to see you try!" he shouted, pulling a Pokéball from his pocket and throwing it between himself and Estelle. "Come on, Gabite!"

A flash of light erupted from the Pokéball as the boy's Gabite appeared, charging a few steps forward and letting out a fierce roar. Luna retreated back at the Pokémon's charge, but stopped when she saw it wasn't attacking. Estelle remained firmly in place.

"I won't let you have your way through intimidation. If you can't see reason I'll show it to you!" Estelle declared. With no fanfare she drew out a Pokéball, holding it before her. "Swanna. I need you."

Another flash of light and Estelle's Swanna appeared, swirling through the air in an elegant spin before touching the ground with the grace of a single feather. Swanna made no sound, staring down the growling Gabite without fear.

The aggressive boy shook with laughter. "That's it?"

Estelle didn't bother answering him.

His face contorting as he failed to get a rise from Estelle, the aggressive boy turned to his friend. "Hey!? What are you waiting for? Help me!"

"W-wha-? But, I-"

"Now!"

The situation was spiraling out of control, and nothing anyone said would stop it now. Luna actually felt sorry for the guy. With a sigh he rooted through his pocket until he found a Pokéball. "Okay. Kingler, come out… I guess…"

The boy's Kingler appeared and immediately turned to glare at her trainer. "Ki-ki…"

"I know… I'm really sorry about this… Please, let's just get this over with…" It was a meek pep talk, but Kingler still reluctantly turned to face Swanna.

The three trainers and their Pokémon stood, waiting. As the wait dragged on, Estelle turned. "U-uhm… Luna…?"

Luna blinked, her arms folded as she watched the three of them face off. "Huh? What's up?"

"Oh… Nothing. But, I was thinking maybe you'd… you know…" Estelle was choosing her words as carefully as she could, not wanting to misspeak.

"You could just bring out another Pokémon you know."

"Oh, I know. It's just…"

Luna waited, expecting her to continue. "What?"

"It'll be fun! We'll stand together in the name of justice!"

"Justice!? Where did that come from!?"

"Even with the small things, we must always endeavor for a righteous end. That is the nature of justice. …And besides, it'll be good practice for you. Battles are a good way to bond with your Pokémon." The way Estelle was talking reminded Luna of their normal conversations. It was like she'd suddenly turned off the seriousness of the situation long enough to talk to her friend…

Luna grit her teeth. "Fine… But I'm only agreeing because I don't want to drag this conversation any longer. People are staring."

It was true. The impending battle was beginning to draw a crowd, and Luna disliked being at the center of attention. She tried to keep her breathing as calm as possible and tried to force the thought from her mind. It seemed the best option now was to end this dispute as quickly as possible. Producing one of her Pokéballs from her belt, Luna threw it.

Luna's Shinx emerged, bristling with energy, both physically and electrically. Shinx hopped up and down next to Swanna, eager for a battle. "Well, glad you're happy," Luna called flatly.

Once again, the aggressive boy laughed. "First the pretty birdy and now an adorable baby Pokémon. This is great!"

"You're really dumb," jabbed the young boy, in spite of still being held by the target of his insult.

"Please don't be too hard on him. …I'm really sorry about all this," said the non-aggressive boy, apparently apologizing to the entire group.

"I hope you drown in pain," the captive boy added.

"Gawd, shut up!" shouted the aggressive boy.

"Why are we helping again…?" Luna asked.

"Justice," Estelle answered.

The four battlers stared each other down. Surprising no one, the aggressive boy acted first. "Gabite, Sand Tomb!"

Not wasting a moment after the command, Gabite slams his claw into the ground. A swirling twister of sand erupts, around his position. The swirling sand seems to remain fixed on Gabite's position as his trainer calls a second command. "Now Dual Chomp!" With the sand still swirling around itself, Gabite charges Swanna.

Surprised by this tactic, Swanna tries to fly out of Gabite's reach, but reacts too slowly as Gabite lunges into the air after her. Crying out as Gabite bites her in the shoulder, Swanna is dragged down, and slammed into the ground.

Estelle's calm is lost, clearly empathizing with Swanna's pain. "Swanna!"

"Wow! Great attack!" calls out the previously apologetic boy.

"I know it; shut up and attack!" replied his friend.

"Swanna!" Estelle called, regaining her composure. "Aqua Ring!"

"Kingler! Crabhammer, on Shinx!"

The actions set into motion at the same time. As a Kingler scuttles toward Shinx, a veil of water begins to swirl around Swanna. Gabite loses his grip and much of the sand swirling around him turns to mud, falling to the ground. With struggled movements, Swanna takes to the air.

Meanwhile, Kingler bears down on Shinx. "Dodge and Spark!" Luna calls out as Kingler's massive claw raises and smashes downward. With its boundless energy, Shinx easily skirts out of the way of Kingler's lumbering attack, leaping with a flip over top of Kingler before falling, a ball of electricity coating his body.

"Shiiiiinx!" Shinx slams into Kingler from above, causing her legs to buckle as her entire body slams into the ground.

"Gabite, Dragon Claw," called out the aggressive boy, a bit of anger in his voice.

Gabite tried to obey his master, but Swanna had already gained too much height, and his flailing only caused him to slip and fall in the mud. "No! What are you doing!?" the boy cried again, growing increasingly furious.

"Kingler, get up! Use Harden!"

"Spark again!" called Luna.

Shinx energized, forming a field of electricity around himself again, but Kingler was able to regain her strength, rising and shaking Shinx from her back. Falling flat on his face, Shinx's Spark fizzled.

"Swanna! Help Shinx with Air Slash!"

"Vice Grip Kingler!"

"Shinx, get up!"

"Gaaah! Get, up, stupid!"

Kingler swung her claw before Shinx could recover. Catching Shinx, Kingler lifted him up just as she was struck by Swanna letting loose a powerful gust of bladelike wind, striking Kingler on the back of the head. Kingler staggered, but did not fall. Gabite finally brought himself to his feet, roaring in rage, it charged recklessly, scaling the side of the ice cream parlour and leaping at Swanna.

"That's right! Dragon Claw!"

Estelle's eyes widened in horror as realization overtook her. "Swanna, take the hit!"

Swanna obeyed. Gabite slammed into her, once again driving her into the ground, but this time from a much greater height.

"Estelle, what are you doing!?" cried a shocked Luna.

The captive boy smiled. He was apparently enjoying the show. "An angry Gabite in a crowd of stupid yokels. …Probably not as fun as a Garchomp, but then, what is?"

Estelle nodded. "I'm sorry Swanna…" Then turning to the crowd she said, "All of you please, give us more space. This is getting out of hand!"

"Then stop the match!" pleaded Luna.

"We can't stop the match," Estelle answered darkly. "They're completely out of control… Both of them; Gabite and his Trainer. The only way to stop this is to finish it."

"U-uhm… I'm really sorry about all this…" called the apologetic boy, pathetically.

"Huh?" began Luna. "You're still he- gwagh, Shinx!" she cried, just remembering Shinx's dire situation.

Kingler squeezed her claw, Shinx still trapped within. Shinx cried out in pain as Luna struggled to figure out a way to escape. "Shinx, no… What can I, do… I-I… Wait. That's it! …Oh…" An idea came to Luna. She wasn't happy about it… "Shinx! Do the… the thing… The one I told you never to do!"

In spite of being in terrible pain, Shinx still managed to cant his head in confusion.

Luna groaned. Closing her eyes with a pained expression she shouted, "Shinx, Baby-Doll Eeeeeeeyyyyessss!"

A flash of inspiration came over Shinx's gaze and suddenly his expression changed, still in pain, but it was… adorable, and sad… Kingler saw that look of pain, and the realization came to her that she was effectively crushing the life out of a creature that was not only adorable, but innocent, and kindhea- "And Spark!" Whatever thoughts Kingler may have been having were cut off by an undisclosed number of volts running through her body. Kingler fell, still twitching but by all observational standards, intentional movement had ceased.

Gabite stood over a battered and bruised Swanna. His trainer laughed. "Not so pretty now, are yeh?"

Estelle glared at him. "People could have been hurt if Swanna hadn't stopped Gabite. If she'd dodged he would have landed in the crowd!"

"Who cares? It's their own fault for being in the way." Then with a flourish, he held out a fist confidently. "Now Gabite, it's time to finish this!"

"Swanna! To me!" Swanna's eyes shot open. Ignoring her pain, she retreated back to stand before Estelle. She no longer flew. It was unclear whether she still could.

"What's wrong? Giving up?"

"You!" Estelle called with authority. Taking a step back to put her right foot forward, she held out her arm, stretched outright as she pointed at her foe. Swanna mirrored these motions exactly without need to look back at her trainer. The only difference was that Swanna directed herself at Gabite. "You who speak in anger. You who seeks violence and flagrantly disregards the safety of others! You, the unrepentant!"

Estelle continued, speaking with clarity, and pureness of purpose. "I have observed you, and seen your ways. You care nothing for others, or even the opinion of your friend. You disregard reason, disregard goodness, and disregard justice. These transgressions I cannot overlook! Even if God may forgive you, I stand before you now and cast judgment! Wings of Justice, granting no mercy to the wicked! Air Slash!"

As she spoke, Estelle moved, and her motions were mirrored by Swanna. She brought her left arm up, crossing it over her chest, and near the end of her speech she did the same with the other. As she called out the name of her attack, she slashed forward with her right arm, dropping her left arm to her side before swinging it forward as well. Swanna mirrored this attack, sending twin blades of air flying toward Gabite. Mesmerized by the display, Gabite was struck without resistance, flying back by the sheer force of the wind. By the time Gabite's trainer realized what was coming it was too late. Gabite slammed into him, leaving behind the young boy he'd held captive by the shoulder all this time. Both Gabite and his trainer lost consciousness.

Recalling their Pokémon, Estelle and Luna approached the young boy while Kingler's trainer went to tend to his knocked out friend. "Don't worry little boy," Estelle said in a gentle tone. "Everything's fine now."

Now that the battle was over, any amusement was gone from the boy's face, replaced with an unflattering scowl. "I didn't' need your help, cow."

Estelle was visibly cut by this remark. "C-…? Cow…?"

"I'd blame the hat," quipped Luna.

Estelle hung her head. "Right…"

"So what's your name kid?" Luna asked.

The boy glared up at her for a moment. He must not have been able to think of a good enough insult, since he simply replied, "Tavor."

"I'm Luna. The nice girl who just helped you out is Estelle. You think maybe you could pay it forward? You know, maybe, **not** insult the people who just went out of their way to help you out."

"I said I didn't ask for your help! And what's with that outfit? Don't you even know how to dress yourself?"

"What? Hey, this is bold modern style, brat!"

"It's orange, Luna…" Estelle uttered.

"So what!? You have a problem with the way I dress now too!?"

"N-no! Of course not! It's just, with the blue hair, I think you'd look much better in white."

"You think **everything** looks better in white!"

"Well, it's a noble color!"

"It's the absence of color!"

"Then it would be invisible!"

"…What?"

"…Can we talk about this later…?"

Luna growled, "Fine, but only if you don't say anything bad about orange."

"I can't promise that."

"Then just **try**!"

"…O-kay…"

Luna sighed. "Is it, really that hard?"

Estelle shrugged. Luna let out a groan, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She liked the orange vest… And she thought it went well with the black t-shirt, though maybe the orange pants were a bit much? Luna violently shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with the way I dress!"

"Stupid, and a liar," Tavor quipped.

"And what about you!? You're wearing **all** black, and when's the last time you bathed; I can smell you from here you little snot rag!"

"Luna!"

"What!? He started it!"

"He's half your age!"

"Y-yeah, well… he's still a jerk…"

"You're mean," Tavor interjected.

Luna grit her teeth, visibly shaking with rage as she went red in the face. "…You're… a… tch… ghgagh… scht!" Taking a deep breath, Luna struggled to articulate her words calmly. "You, are, fine… Now **we're**," she stated, grabbing Estelle by the arm, "going home."

"Uhm, that might not be a bad idea. We sort of drew a crowd," Estelle remarked, glancing around at the various onlookers still present from the battle.

"Gaghagha!" Luna cried out, stiffening. She could hear the whispers and murmuring of the crowd now. _I-I'm… so embarrassed… That… little, snot… …I'm gonna kill him. __**With fire**__!_ "L-l-let's just go," Luna stammered, turning stiffly with her head down.

"I think that's a good idea," Estelle agreed, looking a bit worried for her friend. "Come on Tavor. We'll take you home; or wherever your parents are staying."

**_Whaaaat!?_** At this point, Luna had effectively lost the will to speak; but she certainly didn't want to help Tavor any more than she already had. Still, without speaking up, there was nothing she could do to protest. An impish smirk traced itself across Tavor's face, and he nodded, taking Estelle's hand as she wrapped her arm over Luna's shoulder, leading them away from the crowds.

After having moved enough distance from the crowds that Luna began to calm down, Estelle turned to Tavor. "You don't live around here do you? Do you have family competing in the Competition Week?"

"It's none of your business; shut up!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would hurt to ask."

"Who cares what you think?"

"Why are you so mad all the time?"

"Why are you fat?"

"I'm not fat…"

"Why do you lie so much?"

Estelle sighed.

"And why's orange girl so freaked out? She didn't seem to mind yelling at a kid earlier."

"Oh, well… Luna, doesn't handle crowds very well..." Estelle explained with a pained expression.

"S-shut up; I didn't say you could tell him that!" Luna protested.

"Oop! Sorry; it just slipped out."

"What a loser…" Tavor scoffed.

Estelle glared sternly at the boy. "That's enough. Luna helped you, and before you started being rude to her, she even tried to talk to you nicely. If you can't say anything nice, you ought to keep quiet until we speak with your parents."

"I, didn't, ask for help! And you're the one who helped! I saw! Miss Scared-of-people was going to just walk by! Not that I'd care if she did…"

"Luna's a very nice person, now apologize!"

"No!"

Luna had enough. Jerking away, she broke Estelle's grip, separating herself. "It's fine Estelle! I don't need you to defend me to this brat! And I don't need you to lead me around like a baby either!"

"Luna, I wasn't trying-"

"It's fine!" Luna shouted. A silence hung in the air between them. The only thing Luna could think to do was run away. "I-I'm going home. I'll see you later…" Without waiting for a response, Luna turned, running as fast as she could toward the dorms.

"Luna! Wait!" Without thinking, Estelle tried to chase after her, but the tug on her arm stopped her. She couldn't just leave a child in the streets. Feeling shackled, Estelle could only watch as Luna fled. "Oh, Luna…"

Tavor smirked. "I wonder if she'll break…?"

"W-what?"

Tavor watched Luna for a moment longer, before pointing in another direction. "I said my home is this way."

* * *

_…__A part of me wonders what might have happened. If I had stayed… If I hadn't run away. Would things have changed? Would things be better? I don't know. But even now, it aches inside of me. I can't help but feel I could have prevented a lot of pain that day… had I only been stronger…_

* * *

The idle creaking of the front door as it opened and shut stirred Luna awake. She had fallen asleep on the couch, and during that time it had grown dark. She reached for a nearby lamp, illuminating the room with its soft glow. An exhausted looking Estelle was removing her shoes by the door.

"Estelle?"

Estelle didn't react immediately. She turned slowly, like she was hearing something just out of range. "O-oh. Luna. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"You're back so late. …Did everything go alright?" She'd had plenty of time to think about it. Luna was beginning to feel a bit guilty about leaving Estelle behind.

"Y-yeah. It did… I think it did… Did it? U-uh, yes. Sorry, everything's fine." Estelle's response didn't seem too sure of herself. She seemed addled, like she was having trouble collecting her thoughts.

Luna frowned. If Estelle was trying to bluff, it wasn't fooling anyone. "What time is it? It's late; where have you been all this time?"

Estelle bit her lip, a worried expression as she carefully responded, "W-well, uhm… I guess, I, wanted… to give you your space. You seemed so upset before, and I wanted to come back right away and talk about what happened, but… I, didn't?" More than addled, Estelle seemed genuinely confused. "Why didn't I..?" she murmured softly.

This confusion stung Luna a bit too. She couldn't help but feel like she'd somehow managed to drive her friend away a small bit. That was the last thing she'd ever want. "Estelle, I'm sorry. I-I… I was childish… I shouldn't have acted like I did, and I'm sorry."

"No, Luna. You didn't do anything wrong. You were right. I shouldn't… I shouldn't…" Estelle paused, clearly having trouble finding her words. Failing that, she wailed in frustration, "I-I don't know! But I just know I've done something horribly wrong here too!"

Luna curled her legs up to where she sat, hiding her head behind her knees. They were both worried about each other. Neither of them wanted the other to believe they'd done anything wrong, and whether either of them actually had was becoming more and more muddled. There was just a dull ache that the situation wasn't right, and anything either of them tried to do to correct it just seemed to make things worse. Luna hated that feeling: the feeling that correcting such a state is so utterly hopeless.

Silence hung between them. Luna reminded herself that things in any situation may be complicated, or they may be simple. It all depends on how you look at it. Standing up to meet her friend at eye level, she said, "Hey. I don't think there's anything more to apologize for; for either of us. We both want things to be right. So, let's just… let it be right."

Estelle watched Luna with an uncertain expression. "Are you sure? I mean, everything's alright?"

Luna nodded, offering a small smile. "There's no need to worry about it. Whatever happened will eventually be forgotten, because what feels important right now might not ultimately **be** important. So I'd much rather go back to being at ease."

It was a simple way of looking at things, and for a moment, Estelle didn't seem to be certain how she ought to react. But in the end, she returned Luna's smile. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Me too."

Everything seemed to be working out. An ache that she hadn't apologized enough, or done enough to make up for her behavior still remained within Luna, but she forced herself to believe that was natural. Emotions can be fickle, but friends aren't. As long as everyone's being honest, things will work out, and whatever was wrong will eventually seem silly. That's the way things always were.

* * *

Estelle still wanted to spend some time practicing for her fencing competition in the morning. Luna decided to join her, though she didn't expect she'd be able to help very much. After all, Estelle already had a sparring partner who was far more capable than she.

It was dark out, but that didn't stop too many of the other students from still being out and about. It was difficult to find a secluded open area to practice. Luna suspected that the extra effort to find a quiet, secluded place was probably for her benefit. _Estelle probably thinks I'd be embarrassed to be seen practicing fencing even by proxy. …Which is just silly! I'm not that sensitive!_ In spite of such thoughts however, Luna knew that Estelle would probably end up trying to impart some of her fencing knowledge on her at some point. The idea of trying to flail a pointed stick around in public wasn't something that made Luna feel at ease.

Eventually, they decided to practice in the clearing between the tracks and the forest, where Luna had waited for Estelle earlier. When they arrived, Luna saw that the torn and shredded scraps of her old book still remained. She briefly worried Estelle was going to scold her for littering (not that she had remembered to pick them up either). Fortunately, no such reprimand came, though Luna still noted to herself that she ought to clean the mess up at some point while they were there.

All Estelle had brought with her was her reinforced practice saber. For her typical means of practice, the standard protective gear would be meaningless, and only be a hassle to put on. For that matter, a standard fencing saber would be inadequate for this particular type of training. "I think we should be good here."

"We sure took a lot of time settling on it," Luna remarked. "Do you even have time to practice?"

"Of course. Now," Estelle said, producing a Pokéball from her belongings and holding it before herself. "Let us begin."

From the Pokéball emerged Estelle's sparring partner, and by Luna's observation, one of her most cherished Pokémon. Estelle's 'Sword of Justice', as she was so fond of referring to her, the Pokémon, Honedge. Honedge's sudden appearance was quiet and serene save for the workings of the Pokéball. She simply appeared. Tiredly, her eye opened.

"Hello my friend," Estelle said with a bright smile. "I hope I have not disturbed your rest."

In response, Honedge slowly closed her eye, leaning forward as the blue tassel flowing out from her hilt wrapped itself before her as though in a bow. Honedge, in spite of her sleepy appearance, didn't seem to mind being called upon at this hour.

Estelle placed her hand on Honedge's sheath affectionately. Luna always thought it was odd how Estelle handled Honedge. She always touched the sheath, or the guard; sometimes even the blade. But never the hilt, nor the arm like tassel. This seemed to contradict what was at least Luna's natural reaction to grasp the hilt, or shake the tassel's hand. She never asked, but ultimately Luna had concluded that shaking hands was too formal for the close bond Estelle shared with Honedge, and grasping the hilt would probably be seen as rude, treating Honedge as an item rather than an independent being.

Still smiling affectionately, Estelle stepped back from Honedge. "I request your blade, ser. Will you grant me the honor of a duel?" Actually, now that it came up, Luna remembered how formal Estelle always was when requesting anything of Honedge. Even sparring with her was practically a ritual. Estelle deferred a great deal of respect to Honedge through both her words and her actions, and Honedge returned that respect to her with equal reverence. _Maybe it's a different kind of formality than shaking hands, but it seems to work for them. Just watching, it's easy to tell how close they are._

Once again, Honedge blinked in consent. Wrapping her tassel around her sheath, she drew forth holding her sheath in the rear while her blade thrust forward in a passable formless emulation of a fencer's stance.

"Thank you, Honedge. I will not forsake the value of this act," Estelle said with a bow before assuming her own stance.

Luna had observed Estelle practice with Honedge before. Honedge's sheath is to represent a person's body, and while sparring she tries to restrict her movements to what would be possible of a human opponent. Sometimes, Estelle lifts this restriction, allowing Honedge to attack and defend more creatively.

Luna might not be the biggest fencing fan, but at the very least, seeing a human and a Pokémon spar has always been a novel sight. Estelle's skill is truly impressive to be able to manage it, and Honedge's training really shines through in such sessions. It's all very impressive, even if it does sometimes leave Luna feeling a bit left out.

Estelle and Honedge sparred throughout the night. Luna and Estelle would exchange bits of conversation throughout, laugh, and overall enjoy each other's company. Occasionally, Estelle would convince Luna to make an attempt, though she typically failed to emulate whatever was being shown to her properly, and off-duels with Honedge were typically underwhelming. Luna always got the impression that Honedge was holding back far more than she would with Estelle for fear of harming her. It's a nice gesture, but the pace always feels so sluggish compared to watching Estelle, and it makes the sting of still being unable to score a point that much more pronounced.

When Luna and Estelle do return to their dorm they're in higher spirits than when they left, but also far more exhausted, falling asleep in their respective bunks almost immediately.

* * *

The following morning started quickly, seeing Luna burst from her dorm, making a mad dash down the street. Realizing she'd overslept, Luna was desperate to reach the hall where the Fencing Competition was being held. Estelle of course had left early, possibly intending to get in some more practice to hone her reflexes.

Realizing she only had a few minutes to reach the Fencing Competition's hall, Luna decided to cut through the forest. Following the streets would be far more roundabout; something which Luna didn't have time for if she intended to arrive before the competition began.

Spying the edge of the forest as she continued her mad dash, she was momentarily halted by the sight of Tavor, standing at the edge of it. Luna couldn't help but to wrinkle her nose, but she didn't have time to endure his typical rudeness. Unfortunately, sensing her presence, Tavor turned to face her as she ran toward him. A serious look sat upon his face, different from his usual, unsavory scowl. Apparently realizing Luna's intention, he called out to her. "You shouldn't go this way. It's dangerous right now."

The boy's warning catching Luna's interest enough to at least slow her down as she approached, she asked him, "Dangerous? Dangerous how?"

"There are monsters in the woods," Tavor responded, seriously. "If you go through them now, they'll probably attack you. …Then you'll die."

Luna shook her head in disgust. "I don't believe this." Disregarding Tavor's words, she continued on her path.

"I warned you…"

"Save it, twerp!"

Rushing past Tavor, Luna broke past the tree line. It may have just been nerves, but the moment she did so, she couldn't help but to feel uneasy. She was sure it was just Tavor's warning, and that there was nothing to fear… but at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that there _was_ something out there.

Minutes passed, and Luna grew increasingly uneasy. She consoled herself with the fact that it wouldn't take long to clear the forest, but paranoia was beginning to set in. Now she was almost certain she heard something rustling about, chasing her. _Easy Luna… It's just Tavor and his mean tricks playing with your head. There's nothing… Nothing that can hurt you._

Luna's efforts to reassure herself had little effect. Suddenly, a black streak shot out from her right. Luna stopped, trying to dodge back, but the grass gave out beneath her and she fell to the ground. The black streak flew past her, slamming into the ground a few feet away. Struggling to right her gaze, she looked to see what had flown at her.

The black thing's form began to register. It writhed and coiled on the ground, its head rising from the dirt and turning until Luna could see its pained, bloodshot eyes. The creature before her was long, and snakelike, writhing and teetering unnaturally. It seemed to be in pain, coughing as much as it hissed, a feral gleam in its eye, but what stood out the most was its color. It was a dark, sickly shade of black, unnatural for this particular breed of creature, and its scales seemed to be molting. Luna realized what she was looking at. "A black, Ekans…?"

_Is this the monster Tavor was talking about? How could he have known about it?_ The Ekans gazed at Luna's eyes, but it was an unsteady gaze. It was seemingly having trouble focusing, its head drooping unsteadily every once in a while before its muscles could catch it. _And why is it black? Ekans aren't supposed to be black._ The Pokémon was clearly sick. Could it have contracted some strange disease? But what was it doing here? There had never been any Ekans in this area before. Luna's mind raced as it was bombarded by a thousand questions, a slow, nagging realization creeping into her mind. The questions didn't matter. Right now… she needed to move!

"Ek-ek…eeeekaaaaa!" The Ekans coughed, screaming as it lunged for Luna. Scrambling to her feet she dodged away, but the moment Ekans landed it attacked again. Once again Luna dodged, tumbling to the ground. Realizing she wouldn't be able to escape, she drew a Pokéball from her belt, throwing it.

Luna's Vibrava appeared. "Vibrava! Bulldoze!" Appraising the situation in an instant, Vibrava, flew low to the ground. Vibrating her wings rapidly, she sent a shockwave into the ground as she charged Ekans. A rolling mound of dirt formed before her, and the ground beneath Ekans shook. Unable to evade, Ekans was hit by, and buried beneath the clods of earth.

"Great! Let's get out of here!" Luna called, dashing away.

"Vib-ri!"

The two of them didn't make it very far before, sensing a disturbance, Vibrava cried out, knocking Luna to the side. Not a moment later, Ekans shot up from the ground beneath where Luna had just been standing. Missing its target, it fell back to the ground, clumsily flailing about before it could right itself.

"Aw, man! It can tunnel too!?" Luna grit her teeth. This was becoming even more dangerous. "Vibrava! Supersonic!" she called out, covering her ears.

The vibration in her wings suddenly changed, as Vibrava directed its sonic attack at Ekans. Ekans recoiled beneath the deafening screeching sound. It already seemed unstable, but Vibrava's attack seemed to make it even more reckless. Launching a mindless attack, Ekans lunged into a nearby tree. Luna couldn't help but to smirk at this.

Suddenly a flash of light appeared unbidden from Luna's belt, as Piplup appeared. Blades of energy extended from Piplups otherwise short arms, and he used them to block the lunge of another, previously unseen Ekans. With the attack stopped in mid-air, Piplup swung his enhanced wings, repeatedly smashing the Ekans until it slammed into the ground.

"Piplup!?" Luna cried out in surprise. "…Thanks."

"Piplup pii-plup pi!" Piplup answered, guarding Luna defensively.

This new Ekans was no different from the last. It looked just as sickly and feral. Luna began to fear that a whole clutch of these blighted Pokémon were in the woods. Drawing her last Pokéball from her belt, Luna sent out Shinx. "Vibrava, keep that Ekans suppressed; Shinx, build a Charge and keep a lookout for more Ekans; Piplup! Let's go! Fury Attack!"

As the others followed their commands, Piplup darted forward, smashing the stunned Ekans repeatedly with his enhanced wings before striking it with a particularly heavy smash and sending it flying into a tree.

A rush of activity behind her caused Luna to turn in time to see Shinx activate Spark's electrical field around his body before lunging at a recently emerged third Ekans. Shinx darted around the Ekans' attack, biting down on its tail and whipping it into the ground. "That's it! Use Bite and throw that Ekans!" Meanwhile, Vibrava seemed to be perfectly controlling her Ekans, manipulating it into repeatedly harming itself.

Turning back to Piplup, Luna saw that his foe had recovered, and was once again slithering toward her. "Don't let up! Bubble Beam!" Heeding the command, Piplup retracted his wings. Leaning back as he took a breath, Piplup shot forth a steady stream of volatile bubbles.

Not to be bested again, Ekans weaved between each of their detonations, lunging once again, not at Piplup, but at Luna. Luna cried out in surprise, but Piplup was ready, leaping up to intercept the attack as his wings once again enhanced. A single blow knocked Ekans to the ground. Piplup landed a moment after, bounding up again and twirling himself through the air as he stomped Ekans. The snake gave a pained screech that was cut short as Piplup angrily pummeled it repeatedly with his wings, continuing even after it stopped moving…

A rustling in the trees above was Luna's only warning. She had worried that it would come, but hoped the earlier attackers would be bested first. Luna looks up to see a fourth Ekans, falling from above directly toward her. With only a split second to react, Luna can only hold out her arm to stop the Pokémon, but the Ekans instead coils around her arm. Before she even knew what was happening, it had lunged forward, sinking its poison fangs into her neck.

Luna's eyes widened in shock as she fell to the ground. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. A horrible pain coursed through her, yet she could not even bring herself to cry out.

"Pi-plu pluu!" Piplup shouted in horror. Forgetting the Ekans he had been pummeling, he rushed to Luna's side. Shinx and Vibrava each cried out in turn, but could do nothing while battling their own Ekans'. Distraught, Piplup repeatedly struck the Ekans biting Luna, but it wouldn't budge. There were tears in his eyes as he cried out again and again, "Pi-plu! Pi-plu! P-pi-plu!" Hope began to fade from his eyes.

But Luna was barely aware of this. All she could feel was the pain of Ekans' fangs biting into her. Its body coiled painfully around her arm, and her entire body grew numb. Tears began to stream from her pain stricken face, the grim reality of what was happening setting in. _This is… Th-this… is…_

The people closest to her flashed through her mind. It was a painfully short list. Her father… Her younger sister… Estelle… All of them… _I-I'm never…_ She could barely move. She knew she needed to fight. To be strong. But she couldn't find the will to move. She couldn't do anything. _I… I-I'll die…_ She could still feel her heart beating. The wound in her neck resonated with each thump of her heart. She imagined it getting weaker, and fading. The tears in her eyes gave no pause for her thoughts. _Alone. …I… I-I've always…_

She wanted, desperately… She desperately wanted someone to save here. Someone, anyone to care… To reach out their hand and save her. Maybe it was just an illusion, but that's exactly what she saw.

A hand… A large hand reached out before her, clad in a knightly, metal gauntlet. It reached for her, and then it reached past her. She could feel the force of the hands grip resonate through her wound as it squeezed. The Ekans' bite slacked, and its coils loosened. The hand returned to her view, dragging the unmoving form of the Ekans that had bitten her along with it.

Luna struggled to move. She struggled to see what was going on. Her blurred vision cleared, if only a little, and what she saw before her struck her with awe. She saw a knight, massive in stature. Standing what must have been ten feet tall, his pure white armor concealed every part of him, even his face. A collection of swords, all massive in size hovered in the air around him, an especially massive blade at his back.

The knight said not a word, the motionless Ekans in his hand a grim reminder of what had transpired. A voice, not knightly at all, spoke from elsewhere.

"I warned her. Stupid people have no right to live, regardless of… well…"

Luna struggled to turn. She knew that voice. With all of her strength, she turned to see Tavor, standing a fair distance at the knight's back. Her hair obscured her vision, and Luna knew she must look wretched, but she didn't have the strength to hold herself with any grace or dignity. Piplup sat before her, tears still in his eyes, but he looked up at the new arrivals with uncertainty.

Tavor locked eyes with Luna with a look of contempt. "I don't see it… What's so special about you?" Luna could hardly understand what he was saying, so stricken with pain and poison as she was. But it made no difference. Turning to the knight, Tavor spoke again. "Sigrun… Shall we?"

The knight moved. He threw the Ekans in his hand to the ground, then reaching for the sword at his back. He didn't speak, but his actions made everything clear. First the Ekans wrestling with Shinx. With a stroke of his sword, the Pokémon was ended. Shinx stared on in shock as Sigrun moved to the Ekans addled by Vibrava. This one seemed too far gone to even realize what was coming, and a single stroke of the massive blade ended it. Vibrava's reaction was much the same as Shinx's. Finally, Sigrun moved to the Ekans defeated by Piplup. He looked down at the Pokémon, still unmoving from its bout with Piplup. A pause, and then he raised his sword, allowing it to fall.

Tavor watched, a look of grim satisfaction in his eyes. A rustle in the trees, and another Ekans appeared, lunging for Tavor. Without seeming to move, Tavor simply faded away. The Ekans passed, and Tavor reappeared where he was before. He shook his head. "That won't work… little worm…" He uttered the final words with a level of contempt that could only be considered 'murderous'. Drawing an unusual, dark Pokéball from his belt, he called out in a low tone, "Banette…"

The doll-like Banette appeared from the Pokéball. In contrast to Tavor's somber tone, Banette seemed quite happy. He cackled as he glowered over the Ekans, no doubt aware of what came next.

"Banette… Night Shade."

A flash in Banette's eyes, and a wave of energy, felt rather than seen, was the only indication Banette had done anything at all. That, and the writhing agony of the Ekans. Tavor closed his eyes. "Despair, and suffer…" Opening them again, a cold heartless emptiness revealed in them, he added, "…then die." The Ekans merely continued to writhe in pain, Banette cackling with glee.

Turning once again to Luna, Tavor approached her. He looked into her eyes, and having witnessed his cruelty first hand, Luna glared up at him defiantly. Piplup, Shinx, and Vibrava each formed up, creating a perimeter blocking Tavor from Luna. Tavor stopped before them, examined each of them with his unwavering, cold expression. He met Luna's gaze once again. "Not dead… Perhaps you're not completely worthless…"

Luna lacked the strength to respond. It was all she could do to meet his gaze.

"Anyone else would already be dead. But you… You get to suffer… It didn't have to be this way. I tried to warn you, but you didn't listen; not that I care. …I really hoped you would break… Maybe you will."

_What… is he talking about? W-why…? Why do I feel like he hates me?_

Tavor smirked. "You're really confused right now, aren't you?" Looking up to Sigrun, he commanded, "Continue the purge. I'll take care of the girl."

Sigrun said nothing, but turned to look at Tavor.

"Don't worry. I know the price of defiance…"

This seemed to satisfy Sigrun, and he disappeared into the woods.

Lowering himself to look Luna in the eye, he smiled a malicious smile. "I don't care what happens to you… But you're alive. That means something. I'm not a nice enough person to tell you what that means. You'll have to figure that out on your own. But I will do you a favor and tell you this: the fact that you're alive? Doesn't mean you're going to stay that way. All you did was prolong your suffering. Understand? When you wake up, I want you to remember that you're already dead. That's right; you'll die. And there's nothing… anyone… can do."

Luna fought back the tears. This boy… His cruelty was almost suffocating. She forced herself to choke out the words. "W-why…? Why do you hate me?"

Tavor glared at her with an entirely un-amused expression. "I won't lie. There's a small chance. There are… things, in this world, that might offer you some, small, hope… Not that you'll ever find them…"

Luna felt her strength leaving her. She couldn't keep her head up anymore, and had no choice but to let it fall. Her Pokémon crowded around her in concern. She could hear Piplup. He was saying something; he was angry.

Tavor uttered in an unquestionable voice, "Do not… take that tone with me. Your master is protected from me… You, little bird? Should not make me angry…"

* * *

When Luna awoke, she was still in pain. Every part of her was sore, her stomach was in at least three different knots, and she was certainly running a fever, but none of that mattered. What mattered was that she did, in fact, awaken, and that meant she was alive. Opening her eyes, the soft, comforting décor of a hospital room was almost immediately recognizable. If that wasn't enough, the needle stuck into the back of her palm attached to tubes leading to a bag filled with something or other, and beeps of machines tracking her health made it obvious.

"Pi-plu…"

With a low moan, Luna lowered her eyes. There in her lap was Piplup. He had obviously been crying, but was now trying to hide it. "Hey…" Luna answered groggily. "Whe-…oh…" Her words fumbled, and she needed to take a moment longer to collect her thoughts. "Where, is the others?"

Not seeming to mind Luna's attack on grammar, Piplup quietly pointed beside the bed Luna was in. Shinx and Vibrava stirred, climbing up onto the bed to join Piplup, and with equally worried expressions.

"There you are. I'm glad you're all safe." Luna smiled in relief, though her poor condition didn't take long to remind her of herself. The medication still lingered with her, leaving her perception of the world a bit hazy. But knowing her Pokémon were well did much to put her at ease.

Now at a loss for what to do, the aching pain in her shoulder caused her to reach up to it. She could feel the padded bandage over her shoulder, but the wound still stung beneath it. She couldn't help but remember the attack. The feeling of fangs sinking into her flesh, forcing their foul venom into her body… But it didn't kill her. She was alive. "Did the doctors flush out the poison…? How am I okay?"

Tavor had seemed certain that she wasn't okay. If she was in a hospital now, and alive… "Does that mean…?" Luna suddenly began to feel very weak. She fought against the urge to sleep. Her mind worried that it might not be the medicine driving her to sleep…

The door rattled, and then opened. Through it stepped a man in a fine dress shirt, his suit slung over his arm. He seemed older than Luna remembered. His expression was weary, and the bags under his eyes spoke of his poor sleeping habits of late. He quietly shut the door behind him, and with weary eyes turned to the bed. Seeing Luna awake, he tried to force a smile. "Luna."

Luna looked at him. She still felt in a fog. She couldn't remember how she was supposed to act. "Dad…"

Luna's father cleared his throat. He knelt beside his daughter's bed, taking his time to find the right words. "How are you feeling?"

"Bad," Luna answered without thinking. She immediately regretted it. _No… That's insensitive… Dad must be worried sick. I... I can't say something so honest._ In spite of reprimanding herself, she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Her father seemed at just as much a loss for words as she. "Don't worry, Lu. I'm making sure you're well taken care of. I-I'm making sure… You're getting the very best, Luna."

_There's something odd about that, isn't there?_ Luna's addled mind struggled to make out what was wrong. _Why didn't he tell me everything would be okay? …It will… right?_ Luna thought, not wanting to upset the situation any more. But the more she thought, the more worried she became. She didn't want to cause any more trouble… but she couldn't help herself. She needed… to know… "Dad…?" she began, her voice wavering. Her mouth was dry, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes, regardless of how hard she willed them not to. With a sniffle, she asked, "…Am I going to die…?"

The words cut into the room, and seemed to sever even time. For one, horrible moment, time stood still.

Forcing himself to speak in an even tone, Luna's father answered, "Ah-… I, won't let that happen." Awkwardly, he placed a hand on her shoulder in what must have been an attempt to comfort her, but he instead touched the bandage. The bandage didn't lie to her.

_N-…no… Wh-…wh-… No… Why, didn't, he… just say…? …No… _She couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears streamed from her eyes, and she couldn't stop them. She tried to lie, and say that everything was fine, but no words escaped. Every noise she made was a sob, until finally, even that resistance fell. She cried, honestly and purely. Luna cried into her father's arms as her Pokémon huddled around her. It wasn't just her. Everyone had been holding back. And now, because of her, everyone cried.

* * *

The days and weeks passed, and Luna slowly grew stronger. She discovered that at some point she had been moved to a hospital in Jubilife City. Eventually she was deemed stable enough that the machines monitoring her were removed. It was a small comfort, but the removal of their noise only caused every other noise to seem increased; particularly the sound of the infernal clock upon the wall, which counted out the finality of her life.

She had overheard her father talking with the doctors. They said the poison, or venom or whatever it was had been flushed from her system, but there were still traces which lingered. Somehow, they remained, and could not be removed. The doctors described it as much like a cancer, but... different. It still remained something of a poison, but it wouldn't go away. Luna heard it herself. According to all medical knowledge, she should be dead, and probably soon would be.

There was no hope. It was just like Tavor had said. Just like…

The door creaked open, and Piplup stirred awake in Luna's lap. Shinx and Vibrava slept quietly at the foot of the bed. Luna turned to the door, and for the first time in weeks, was genuinely surprised by what she saw.

"Oh… Luna." The words, while not particularly insightful, were a light in the bleak theater of Luna's idle mind.

"Estelle?" Luna couldn't help but to snort out a laugh. "What is on your head?"

"Huh?" Estelle looked cross-eyed up at her head, or as close as she could manage. Estelle was always seeking the perfect hat. Her hats were always white, but none of them ever seemed quite 'right' for her… which considering her current one, wasn't too surprising. Today, Estelle wore a pristine white bowler hat.

Estelle blinked, looking back at Luna. "My hat?"

"Y-yeah! Are you kidding?"

"I like it… I thought it was very fetching."

"But it's a gentleman hat… You need to be a guy to pull it off; preferably a middle aged one… who owns a monocle!"

"I own a monocle."

"Th-that… …Okay. That's… a thing…"

"Ugh," Estelle groaned with a stern expression. "Luna! I didn't come here to criticize my hat!"

"Really? Because I think it needed some criticizing!"

"Luna! Honestly, I've been worried sick about you! Do you know you just disappeared? I didn't know what had happened!"

"Y-yeah, and that's serious, but… Wow, a bowler hat?"

"Luna!"

"Alright, but I'm just saying… Have you ever considered a beret?"

"I, didn't, come, here, to- wait, a beret?"

"Yeah. You know. Stylish, attractive, modest… militant… I think it'd work."

"Huh. Maybe…" Estelle pondered the idea. "Ack! Don't distract me!"

"Are you kidding? How many people have walked into lampposts today because they couldn't pull their eyes away from that thing on your head?"

"That… doesn't, happen…"

Luna blinked. "W-wait, did-"

"I don't want to talk about it…"

"Oh… Okay…"

Piplup sighed.

Estelle waited for a moment to be sure the topic was truly behind them. Then she asked, "Luna, are you okay?"

Luna didn't have an answer to that. She didn't want to answer that. _I don't want anyone else to worry about me. …But… it's Estelle. She's my best friend._ Luna realized she had no choice. She had to be honest. Taking a breath, she said, as calmly as she could, "I think I'm dying…"

"Oh, Luna…" Estelle's sympathy was appreciated, even if it meant making her worry. Luna just couldn't bring herself to lie.

"Hey, have you seen Tavor lately?"

"Tavor? That boy? I haven't seen him since the day we met him."

"He was there when I was attacked."

Estelle recoiled back in surprise. "What? But he's a child."

"Yeah. A dangerous one. He was with this guy dressed as a knight."

"Gosh… D-do… Was he the one who attacked you?"

Luna shook her head. "No. I don't think he was involved with that. It seemed like he and his knight friend were… cleaning up…"

"What does that mean?"

"It means they killed the Pokémon who attacked me."

Estelle turned pale at this revelation. "Wh-…what…?"

Luna nodded. "Tavor had this really creepy Banette. He tortured them to death with it. And the knight guy… he just hacked them up with a sword. …I-it, wasn't pretty to watch…"

"Horrible… I-I mean… They attacked you, and were clearly… bad, but…"

Luna turned away, her eyes lowered to vacantly stare at the sheets of her bed. "…I don't know that I agree…"

"Luna…"

"They attacked me. Viciously… And now I…"

Luna's eyes stung. She couldn't bring herself to look at Estelle's face. She knew Estelle. She already knew what she must think. And yet, she couldn't agree. The pain and fear came rushing back to her, and as silence lingered between them, Luna couldn't stop it as the tears began to stream down her face.

"…They deserved it!" she cried out. "It's their own fault it happened! They, attacked, **me**! Everything… it's all because… because…!" Luna's words fell apart, her sobbing becoming too much to think through. She dared not look to see Estelle's reaction. The pain was too much; she didn't want to see the look on her face. She was afraid… Finally, she shouted out, "They deserved to die! And I'm going to die… And we'll all be dead, and none of this will matter anymore, and it's just what they deserve! …I-I… I don't want to die… I-I… I want to live… but I-…!?"

Luna stopped. She felt Estelle's arms wrap around her, pulling her close. It was a feeling she'd never felt before. No one, had ever shown her… The words whispered to her felt like a dream. They couldn't be real, and even as she heard them, she doubted. And yet… "It will be okay. Everything… because you… You're not going to die. I know… Luna… I promise… You will live. So please… Please believe that."

The words were so soft. So gentle, even spoken between tears. Luna could see Estelle's face now. She was crying too. Somehow, seeing this, and hearing Estelle's words, Luna felt her tears coming back to her, even more strongly than before. But it was different now. Now, she wasn't alone. Between sniffled breathes, Luna wept her words more than spoke them. "I-I wanted… A-ah… I-I just… wanted… s-someone…" The tears became too much for her. Luna couldn't finish her words. And yet, she felt that Estelle understood anyway.

_Estelle… Thank you, so much. All I wanted… was for someone… anyone, to tell me… Everything will be alright. I want to believe that. I want to believe, that you do too…_

* * *

_I realized that… I mean, Luna… realized that, she believed those words. But she… I … wasn't going to sit and wait for that to happen. …I have to speak honestly, just as I did back then. Estelle coming so far just to see me brought me a great deal of comfort in what was a dark time for me. She reminded me that I had reasons, lots of reasons, to stay alive._

_Tavor had challenged me. He said there were things in this world which could help me. I resolved to find them. I don't know how noble going on a quest to save your own life is. Maybe when it's all over, my story is a disappointment. But it didn't matter. Because, my life was worth living. I didn't want it to end._

_There was a light inside of me that loneliness had all but extinguished. I wallowed in doubt, and self-pity. I hated myself; blamed myself for every shortcoming and failure. I hated all the pain my condition placed on those around me. But just having a moment of clarity, made me realize that that fading light was still worth fighting for._

_It was a light worth scraping and clawing after. Even after my hands grew bloody, and I could cry no more tears, I wouldn't give up on it. There was nothing noble about it. If I gave up, that light would be gone. But no matter how much suffering and despair I endured… I couldn't allow that fading light to go out. …Because I wasn't the only one who held value in it._


	4. Where We First Met

Chapter 4- Pokémon Center,

Where We First Met

_Now that the key protagonists of our story have all been put into place, it is time that the real story begins. Each of them arrives in Olivine City, and each of them chooses to spend their evening at a local Pokémon Center. This is history now. I'm sure many of you have some idea of what transpired that night. For the rest, and even those of you who feel informed, allow me to tell you the truth of that event._

_What happened that evening would shape the rest of my life; in some ways even more than my affliction. These events, as well as events which would come later, showed me that what lies in the hearts of people may often be complicated. In some cases, a blight can form upon the soul, shrouding it from the truth and turning it away. In such matters, the source of corruption is rarely simple, and never clean._

* * *

Luna took a deep breath. It felt good to be outside. For the first time in nearly a month she felt genuinely refreshed. Piplup sat upon her head, and seemed to enjoy the coastal air. "Pi-piplup," he sighed contentedly.

"Don't get too comfortable up there," Luna said with a chuckle. "I'm the one who's sick. You should be carrying me!"

"Pii? …Pluu…"

Luna grinned with a laugh. "That was perfect! Heh-heh. Thanks Piplup."

"Pii? Pi-piplup!"

It felt good to at least act so carefree. For a moment, Luna could even forget… The day was nearing its end, and the sun was beginning to set. "Looks like we're going to need to find someplace to stay."

"Pi-pip… Pi-plu pi plup piplup-pi."

"…I have no idea what you just said…"

"Pluu…" Piplup grumbled, annoyed. Pulling on Luna's hair, he directed her attention to an upscale looking hotel.

"O-Ow, hey! Ugh, so you want to go there, huh?"

"Pi-pip!"

"It's tempting… but we really should try not to go too crazy. Just because we _can_, technically… afford it, doesn't mean we ought to. I really should get you and the others looked over. We left Jubilife in such a hurry, and I'll need you guys in top form when we hit the road tomorrow."

"Pluu…" Piplup grumled.

"Heh. Hey, relax. We'll stay someplace nice another time, spoiled baby."

"Pi-plu pluu!"

Luna giggled. "Tonight we're staying at the Pokémon Center, same as most people. It'll be fun!"

Piplup huffed, laying slackly upon his perch on Luna's head.

At the very least, it didn't take long to find the Pokémon Center. There were always people traveling, and the locals relied on the Center for their own needs, so it was no real surprise to find a modest gathering already lingering around the building, and within the main meeting area.

Taking a breath, Luna passed through the crowds, making her way for the front desk. She hoped to get through this with as little interaction as possible. Unfortunately, a boy with a fuzzy haired ponytail seemed to be occupying the nurse's attention. He seemed adamant about something, so Luna decided to hang back and wait. It wasn't as though any of her Pokémon were injured.

Unfortunately, she was having trouble thinking of anything to occupy herself with. Luna began to worry she would draw attention to herself if she continued to stand out in the open. Hurriedly finding a seat, she tried to force herself to relax. "There's no need to worry… I'm fine…" she assured herself.

Piplup hopped down from her head and onto her lap. "Pi-plu?"

Luna offered Piplup a smile. "I'm fine, Piplup. It's nothing to worry about." In spite of these assurances, Luna couldn't help but be a little concerned herself. _Idiot… I can't let myself get so worked up over something so stupid. I'm fine. I can't risk aggravating my… problem, any more than I already am. So, calm… I'm calm._ She took a deep breath, trying to force her body to conform to her thoughts.

"You don't look so well. Are you alright, miss?"

The suddenness of the voice caused Luna to jerk before looking in the direction it had come. By contrast, Piplup's reaction was far more subdued, simply turning to see who had spoken. A young man with well kempt purple hair now stood before her, a pair of spectacles upon his face. Behind the glasses, his violet eyes seemed to show a genuine kindness. Luna however, couldn't help but feel that there was something else behind those eyes.

"A-ah? Why… Wh-why wouldn't I be?" Luna replied.

"Maaa... Wile ma-mawa."

"Eek-!" Once again, Luna jerked back, as a strange Pokémon with a frightening expression stepped up next to the young man. "What is that?"

The purple hair man blinked, turning down to his companion. "Mawile, do you have to make that face? You're scaring the girl."

"Hmph…" Mawile grunted, failing to change her expression in the least.

With a sigh, the man turned back to Luna. "Sorry about that. Mawile's actually pretty nice once you get to know her."

As if solely to contradict her trainer, a dangerous looking smirk spread across Mawile's face as the bizarre maw-like horn on her head curled back into something of a snarl.

The young man must have noticed, as he jerked his gaze back down to Mawile with a glare. Mawile returned with a far more innocent looking smile than Luna had thought she was capable of. Letting out a sigh, the man once again turned to Luna. "My name's Gene. And as I think I've said, this is my partner, Mawile."

"Luna. And this is Piplup," Luna responded. She didn't very well think of her response. It mostly just came out on its own.

"Nice to meet you," said Gene with a beaming smile. But the smile soon faded as he continued. "Are you sure you're okay. You just seem a bit… off…"

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Luna replied loudly. "I-I mean… I'm fine! I'm not 'off', or whatever."

"Okay," Gene said, raising his hands before him. "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. …Uh…gh… I really don't want to keep harping on it, but if anything weird, or… unusual, or you **start** to feel 'off'. Don't hesitate to tell someone."

"Hey, who do you think you are?" Luna said somewhat angrily, rising to her feet. Piplup tumbled to the floor as she did so. "I said I'm fine! I'm not some kid who needs some strange jerk to act like a mother hen! There's **nothing** wrong with me; and how would you know if there was, anyway!?" Luna immediately regretted her reaction. The whispers from all around her made it clear she had yet again drawn attention to herself. Even Mawile's harsh expression had faded at Luna's outburst.

Gene continued holding out his hands in an attempt to calm her. "Alright. You're right, I'm sorry. I was mistaken. Forgive me, I didn't mean to imply…" He seemed to get caught up in his words, stuttering uncertainly about what he should say next for a moment. "I'm very sorry. I never meant to offend you."

"Pi-plu…" Piplup whispered, staring up at Luna. He knew how she typically reacted to these situations, and was understandably worried.

"I-…" Luna stammered for a moment. The weight of how overblown her reaction was hit her with the force of a truck. She felt like she could topple over at any moment. She needed to remove herself from the situation by any means necessary. Visibly shaking, Luna forced herself to speak. "I-I gotta go do something."

With that, she willed her legs to move. Keeping her head down, she made her way toward the front desk once again, hoping against hope that the scruffy haired boy was gone now.

* * *

Gene watched in disbelief as the girl turned, and made her way toward the front desk. She didn't seem to be fully aware of her surroundings, and a few of the onlookers had to hop out of the way as she approached. Her Piplup chased after her. Gene didn't need to be able to read Pokémon to know how worried he was.

"That went well…" Gene stated. Somehow, he managed to sting himself with his own words.

"Maa-ee Wai-e…"

"I don't need to hear that from you. You could have been a bit friendlier," Gene snapped back at his companion.

This time, Mawile actually did seem apologetic. "Wi-… Wima…"

Gene shook his head, making his way past the crowd of onlookers. Even he was a bit embarrassed. "Darn it…" he said once he was sure no one was listening. "Saya didn't mention anything about her."

Mawile nodded wordlessly. Gene already knew that Mawile was even less happy about their situation than he was.

"Is she involved in this? Some kind of… plague? Is that what they're after?"

"Waa?" Mawile chirped. Apparently the thought hadn't even occurred to her.

Gene shook his head in answer to his own question. "No. That threat's contained at least… But, it's so unnatural… I don't understand this at all; why is she here?" His normally cheerful face began to contort as he struggled over this mystery.

"Wai-e! Maaa wi- mawa-ile. Mawa mawi-le-e."

Gene nodded, returning his focus to where it was most needed. "You're right. Sorry about that. There are a lot of people and Pokémon counting on us. Right now we need to focus on what we do know; or at least, all that Saya's told us…"

Mawile growled at the name.

"Yeah… I think it's obvious she didn't tell us everything…"

* * *

Luna stopped her breathing for a moment. Forcing herself back to her senses, she took a deep breath, looking up from her daze. Her vision was blurred, and she shook her head quickly, blinking several times. _It's okay. I'm okay. I just need to get a room. Alone; and then I can… I can sleep. I'll feel better then._ She forced another slow breath through her lungs. _I can't deal with anyone else right now._ She felt Piplup pat her leg. His presence was a comfort.

Her eyes a bit clearer, Luna looked ahead once again. To her disappointment, the nurse was nowhere to be found, but the same scruffy haired boy still stood before the reception area, apparently waiting for her to return. Luna remained frozen in place. She would just have to wait.

The boy gave a shiver, glancing from side to side. Apparently seeing nothing, he turned full circle, his eyes meeting Luna's. He immediately jerked back, slamming into the desk with his back. "Bwagh!? Ghost girl!"

"U-urk-!?" Luna shirked back slightly in reaction to his outburst. _Ghost…?_

"Stay back, demon! I have religion, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Luna stared at the boy in wide-eyed confusion. _Wait, he means…_ Realization as to the boy's meaning began to overtake her, and she was not happy. Rage began to boil within her, and she grit her teeth. "Are… you… **serious!?**"

The boy paled before her outburst. "A-aagh…"

"**A ghost!? A demon!? Just… wow. Just, really!? What is wrong with you!? What kind of jerk/idiot meets someone and immediately insults them like that!?**" Luna cried loudly. She was making a scene again. She knew she was making a scene again, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to stop. This one last drop had tipped the bucket. "**Out of all the things you could have said; all the things you could have done, this!? This is the most reasonable course of action!? Screaming about ghosts like some trampled nutbar!?**"

"…P-…Pi-plu…" Piplup tried to reason with Luna (and perhaps point out the irony of her words), but his voice was ignored.

"**Just… really; REALLY!?**" Luna trembled, tears welling up in her eyes. "**You have no idea the kind of… utter garbage, I've had to deal with lately! And y-you just- **j-just…!" Luna heaved up and down with each breath. She knew there would be consequences for this outburst. Her face was red, in no small part because she knew, everyone in the meeting area could hear her; all eyes were on her. She teetered, forward and back, her vision blurred as her mind spun and her head grew light.

Luna hated her temper. She never even realized it was there until she'd left for college, so secluded and quiet was her life until that point. She hated crowds. She hated people looking at her; people who didn't know her, but still laughed at her, and judged her. But at least back then… there was still at least one person she could rely on. Someone who would always smile and banish her fears and doubt. But now… now she didn't even have that. Now she was completely alone.

Luna's muscles stiffened. Through blurred, tear drenched eyes, she gazed at the boy, his back still to the desk. "..." For a moment, she thought she would say something. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Nothing came; not sight, nor sound. Everything disappeared, and Luna… Luna felt herself fall, and disappear as well.

* * *

_I was wrong. _Batou's back ached. He'd hit the desk rather hard. _I was very wrong._ The girl before him was terrifying. Her frightening presence only seemed to grow more intense with her rage. _She's not a ghost._ Batou's ears rang, and he trembled beneath the weight of every word. _Ghosts aren't this loud._

Batou scolded himself. _This is… my fault, isn't it…?_ The weight of the girl's presence was so intimidating that Batou could only partially process her words, but when her rage seemed to fade, and the last of her words softened, he gained the courage to meet her gaze once again. She was crying. She'd frightened him with her sudden appearance, but he'd never meant to hurt her. The tears stung even more deeply than the screaming.

Before Batou could even think to apologize however, the girl teetered, and with a final, silent cry, she fell to the side, slamming loudly on the floor. The girl had drawn the gaze of every traveler gathered in the hall. The room was completely silent.

"Piiiiiiiii-plllluuuuuhuuuuuu!"

…Not so silent… The girl's companion cried out shrilly. The Pokémon had the presence of mind to catch the girl's head when she fell, but now realizing she'd outright fainted, he screamed and wailed uncontrollably, jostling the girl in a vain attempt to wake her.

The realization of what had just happened hit Batou hard as well. "Bwaaaaagh! I killed the ghost girl!" …He knew it was probably in poor taste to keep calling her that, but the words had honestly escaped him before he'd even thought about it.

This cry caught the tiny foreign Pokémon's attention as well. "Pluuuuuu! Pi-plu pi-pip piplu-pi!" he cried angrily. Softly setting the girl's head on the floor he charged Batou. Too stunned to react, Batou only watched as the Pokémon leapt onto him, scampering up his chest and latching onto his collar, screaming a stream of incomprehensible poké-ese in his face. Batou was too dumbstruck by the act to respond. Apparently angered by the lack of reaction, the Pokémon's rant continued, until with a particularly angry flourish, the Pokémon thrust out his wing overhead, a blade of blue energy extending from and around it.

This did warrant reaction, albeit, not a very dignified one. "Bwaaaaaghhh! It's gonna kill meeeee!"

"What in the world is going on out here?" asked a worried, but surprisingly gentle voice.

Batou (and also the Pokémon menacing him) looked over his shoulder, seeing the visage of the universally recognized Nurse Joy holding Growlithe in her arms. Both of them held the same dumbstruck expression at the sight before them. Growlithe sank with a disappointed growl. "Aro, growlithe growli- grow grrli grow…"

Batou couldn't help but hear his partner's words as, 'I leave you alone for five minutes and…' "Uhm… Yes…? Eh-heh…"

Growlithe shook his head with a disappointed sigh. Nurse Joy set him upon the desk. He seemed much better than when last Batou had seen him. With a few more growls, he beckoned to the Pokémon at Batou's collar.

Receding his blade, the small blue Pokémon hopped onto the counter, adamantly explaining the situation to Growlithe. Growlithe gave a surprised yelp at the revelation of events that had transpired, and after a confirming nod from the other Pokémon, the two of them turned to glare at Batou.

Batou spun around, backing away from the counter. "Gyurk-…. E-et tu, Growlithe?"

This motion drew Nurse Joy's attention past the counter, causing her to spot the girl on the floor for the first time. "Ah!? What in the-!?"

"Oh, yeah… She fainted… I think…" Batou explained.

"You should have said something sooner!" responded a flustered Nurse Joy. Striking a button on the counter as she rushed around to the front, she quickly set to examine the girl. "How did this happen?"

"I-I called her a ghost… And a demon… And a girl…" Batou admitted, ashamedly. "…Ugh. I'm such an idiot."

Nurse Joy joined the growing number of glares pointed firmly at Batou.

"I'm sooorry…" Batou whined. Any more glaring and he'd break down in tears too.

A pair of Blissey appeared from the back, wheeling a medical cart between them. They cast each other confused expression at seeing their patient was apparently human, but didn't seem to give it much consideration beyond that. Heeding Nurse Joy's direction, the two of them used their psychic powers to lift the girl onto the cart, Piplup hopping off the front desk to join her.

As the Blissey wheeled the girl away, Nurse Joy turned to Batou. "While I don't understand what exactly happened here, I think you should be more considerate in the future." She was clearly trying to sound as gentle and understanding as possible, but it still felt a bit harsh to Batou.

As the Nurse left and Batou was left alone with Growlithe, his shoulders sank, and he raised a hand to cover his face. In a despairing tone, he asked to no one in particular, "Why is it always like this…? Why am I always the one responsible…?"

* * *

_Watching… Always… Always… It's so dark, but they're…_ The fog was beginning to fade. Luna's disjointed thoughts grew more coherent. She would wake soon. _Why… does it… __**affect**__ me, so much?_

Luna's eyes slowly opened. The melancholy of her dreams still remained with her, and cast itself upon her countenance. She raised herself from her pillow, and through a hollow and disinterested gaze, she scanned her surroundings.

She appeared to have been moved to one of the Pokémon Center's guest rooms. It was small, with some minor but pleasant decoration; a small table with an innocuous looking plant upon it, and a nightstand with a decided girly looking mirror, numerous flowers carved into the frame's woodwork. The bed Luna found herself seated in was beside the only window, and gave a good view of the outside world. She seemed to still be on the first floor of the building.

"Pi-plu," came the sound of a familiar voice. Turning to look, Luna saw Piplup sitting upon the bed beside her.

Luna paused for a moment as she looked at him, unsure of just what to say. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm fine now."

Piplup's sad expression didn't make him appear very convinced. But he nodded his head and offered a comforting, "Pi-pip," all the same.

Luna turned to the window. She gazed out for a moment, but then allowed her eyes to close. She was calm now. Serene, even. Not necessarily 'good', but she was better. In this moment, she didn't think anything could anger her. Yet then, for just a moment, the memory of what had happened; of so many eyes looking upon her, and hearing her voice in anger; of all the whispering and thought that must have been given her… One moment of that thought was enough, and Luna's stomach turned as she sunk forward, arching her brow almost as if she was in pain. "Urgh…" Biting her lip, Luna took a breath as she tried to expel the thought. It was more than she could bear. She had to be rid of it, even if it meant emptying everything else, at least for a little while.

* * *

No one saw him. He was invisible, and that was how he liked it. Thanks to the commotion at the Pokémon Center's front desk, his task was even easier. No one saw him slip into the back areas. Cradling his bag under his arm, the man grinned to himself at his own slyness. In short order, he'd found his way into the basement. He conjured a mental image of the building's blueprints, trying to visualize his objective.

Nodding to himself the secretive man proceeded a bit further before settling on a spot. "Alright. This should be good." He loosened his bag from his shoulder, preparing to hide it behind a series of pipes, but a clatter from behind caught his attention. Jerking upright, he scanned the darkness, but he could see nothing. The old hanging lamps did little to light the dark areas of the basement, but all the better for his purposes.

Turning back to his task, the man once again was about to hide his bag, but this time it was a voice which disturbed him. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd show up at all."

Turning and drawing a pistol from his coat in one swift motion, the man turned in the direction the voice had come from. But as before, there was no one there.

The voice called out again, from behind once more. "Are you sure you know what you're doing with that? Firearms are outlawed you know. There's no place for them in the world we've built."

"What makes you think it's your world!?" the man shouted, turning once again and leveling his weapon. This time, he caught sight of a figure, shrouded in shadow. "Gotcha!" A soft tick came from the silencer as he fired the weapon. To his surprise however, his target seemed to weave out of the bullet's path. The gunman shook his head, blinking his eyes in disbelief. "What?"

"That won't work. I know what you're doing here; for your own good, you should stop what you're doing and turn yourself in to the authorities. Turning back now, the law will be more lenient of you."

"Shut up! What are you, some cop? International police?"

"My, you think highly of yourself. But no, I'm not affiliated with any sort of legal authority. I'm just a guy."

"So you think you're some kind of vigilante?"

The shadow paused in his answer. "…No. Like I said, I'm just a guy. But I'm one who can-"

The gunman didn't wait for the shadowed figure to finish answering. He opened fire, aiming and blasting off shot after shot, yet every time he did, the shadowy figure seemed to waver and dodge in a bizarre, unnatural way. "Wh-what? What the? How are you doing this?" A sudden burst of realization came over the man, and his hand began to tremble as a result. "I get it… You're like _them_, aren't you? Like the boss, and-"

"No. I'm nothing like them. And I'm about to show you. I can see talking to someone like you is pointless, but taking up your time wasn't. I'm going to stop you now. …Now if you would kindly look behind you."

"Tsk… You think I'm actually dumb enough- urk…!" The gunman thought he was clever calling the shadow's bluff at first, but then he sensed an unmistakably real presence behind him. There wasn't time to react. A heavy weight slammed into his back, and he was sent flying across the room, his weapon skidding across the floor at the same time. Slamming into the ground, he tumbled and spun, trying to scramble to his feet enough to counter his attacker, but all he managed to do was fall on all fours, crying out in agony as a deep pain gripped his shoulder. Looking up, all he saw was a blur of motion, before a giant, deadly maw opened above him, lurching forward as if to devour him. The man screamed in horror, but the maw feinted away, and the man felt a strong tug at his collar. Brought to the ground, the air was knocked from his chest as he felt two tiny feet land on his back, followed by two tiny hands pulling his head back by his hair. The gunman did not even have time to get a good look at his attacker, before his head was slammed forward and into the ground.

* * *

Gene breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the shadows. In spite of his words, he wasn't nearly so confident. But it wasn't his life he worried for. "Good job Mawile. How is he?"

Mawile hopped off the gunman's back, looking up to Gene with a somber expression. She nodded to him, giving him his assurance that the man's condition was about what they'd expected: unconscious, badly injured (likely with a few fractures or broken bones), but alive.

"Good. Thank you Mawile. We should be able to call the police now that the danger has passed, they'll see to him."

"Wai-e," Mawile said, calling Gene's attention to the man's bag. "Maaa, mawa."

Gene nodded, turning toward the bag as well. "No, I haven't forgotten. We'll deal with that too." Retrieving a pokéball from his belt, Gene called forth the Pokémon within.

Appearing from a flash of light, another Pokémon, Abra appeared. Motioning to the bag by the wall, Gene explained, "We need to remove this thing before it can cause any damage. Abra, could you kindly teleport it out into the sea? As long as you send it somewhere remote, no one should be harmed by it."

With a satisfied smile, Gene waited for Abra to follow his command, and yet, the Pokémon made no action. Gene gave Abra a confused look. "…Uh…? Abra?" With still no response, Gene moved to examine his Pokémon more closely. Jerking with a start, he shouted, "Bwagh!? H-hey! Abra! Now's really not the time for a nap, so… come on! Abra!"

Abra made no response, save to snort, twitching his ears a bit. Actually… it wasn't much of a 'response'. He was simply asleep, and hadn't heard Gene's request, or his words just a moment before.

Giving a sigh, Mawile muttered, "Maa-ee…" to herself as she walked up to Abra. Examining him for a moment, she raised an arm above her and bonked Abra upon the head.

A moment later, Abra's head slanted to the side, tears welling up in his eyes as he groaned a drawn out, "Braaaww…"

"Mawile…" Gene scolded in a hushed tone.

Mawile scoffed, turning away and wandering to the side.

Gene shook his head disapprovingly, but turned his attention back to Abra. "Sorry to wake you like this Abra, but we need your help. It's not much. But could you teleport that bag over there into the ocean, please?"

Abra slowly rotated his head to the other side, letting out a low whine.

_Lazy, as always…_ "Well, it's just that, that bag over there… It has a bomb in it." Abra's ear's perked up at Gene's words. "And if you don't do anything about it, we're all going to die. …Horribly."

This got Abra's attention, as he jumped up with a frightened cry. "Bwaaaaaagh!?"

Gene smirked subtly. "Oh, good, you're awake after all. So, can you do it?"

"A-bra!" the Pokémon shouted, affirmatively. Then, holding his hands together, Abra focused his sight on the bag. Emitting a low tone as he focused his energy, beams and particles of light began to form, and coalesce around the bag, dancing upon its surface and illuminating the shadows all around the room. "Aaaaaaaaaaaa-bra!" In a flash, the bag, and the light surrounding it disappeared, and Abra breathed a sigh of relief.

Gene smiled. _That's good Abra. I was kind of worried he'd just teleport himself out. I wonder if the thought even occurred to him?_ Turning to a more serious expression, Gene asked, "You put it in the ocean, right?"

"A-bra!"

"Because if you didn't…"

"A-aabra, bra!" Abra insisted in a somewhat shaky tone.

"Alright, but just saying, if you didn't, I'd inevitably find out. And then… I'd have to let Mawile eat you."

"Bwaaaaagh!?"

Mawile's head perked up at this. Her head slowly turned, fixing her gaze upon Abra with a frightfully wicked grin."

"A-brawahwahwa!" Abra cried, tears streaming from his eyes as he clasped his hands together and began to focus again.

"Just making sure, huh?" Gene asked with a smile. "Alright."

"Hmph. Maa-ee…"

* * *

"What's taking so long? He should have left by now."

Two figures stood upon a rooftop. One of them, a young, athletic looking man of average height, with short, unkempt black hair and a pair of katana at his side, hanging above the tail of his dark longcoat, dutifully kept watch over the adjacent Pokémon Center. The other, tall and lithe with medium length silver hair and wearing an ornately patterned, yellow martial artist's garb, sat leisurely against the wall, tossing and catching a particular **_object_** in his hand.

"I'm getting worried… Something might have happened to him," the dutiful man said, turning to his companion with a worried expression.

Tossing and catching the object one more time, the leisurely man smirked. "You're free to go after him if you want, Ryu."

Ryu furrowed his brow, turning back to the Pokémon Center. "I'm not a subtle person…"

Tossing the object into the air once again, the leisurely man laughed. "I see. Probably don't want to risk it, anyway. I know I wouldn't."

Ryu turned to his companion once again, this time with a look of disapproving frustration. "At the very least, I'd appreciate it if you stopped playing with that! It's not a toy Quinn. Think about what we're doing here; this is serious!"

Quinn laughed once again, standing and turning to face Ryu. "Everything's a toy, as long as you know what the game is!"

Ryu grimaced, turning back to the Pokémon Center. "Just… be careful…"

"Hm. There's no need. After all, it's been long enough."

"Wha-?" Ryu gave a start, turning, but before he could say anything more, Quinn continued.

Abruptly, Quinn flicked open the cap of the object in his hand. "This game is over." He pressed his thumb to the detonator. Just as he did so, there was a brief flash of light in the sky above them as the bomb materialized, followed by a massive shockwave as it exploded. The force of the blast sent both men to the ground, Quinn on his back, and Ryu face down, but the explosion was far enough away to leave them both mostly uninjured.

Breathing heavily, Ryu desperately tried to gather his bearings.

Quinn stared up at the sky from where he lay. "Well. …That was… unique…"

"Wh-what just happened!?" Ryu screamed.

"I don't know," Quinn said with a smirk, "but it's quite an upset." Then donning a more serious expression as he sat up, he called out, "Shikyo."

Ryu looked up, his vision hazy after the explosion. But he quickly realized they were no longer alone. There was a third person now, standing behind Quinn. He could recognize her instantly. Her black, stealthy garb, her sword sheathed upon her back and her black hair, ornately braided and tied in a bow behind her head, and yet, it was her eyes, empty and cold, which identified her the most. It was hard for Ryu to look upon her and see a person. All that was left was… something worse. "You. What are **_you_** doing here?"

Shikyo said nothing, her empty gaze lowering upon Ryu.

"Shikyo," commanded Quinn. In spite of his attempts to remain serious, his eyes betrayed his glee. "It's time for the second phase!"

Shikyo held out her hand, an object just like the one Quinn's held within.

Ryu started in surprise. "A second detonator?"

"This one's a little different from the last one," Quinn explained. A broad grin crept upon his face as he spoke. "Now, the real fun begins. I hope you're ready, kiddies!"


	5. Onslaught of Lost Souls

Chapter 5- Pokémon Center,

Onslaught of Lost Souls

Luna stared at the wall for a moment longer. She breathed in, closed her eyes, and breathed out. "Kay. …I'm fine now. Really."

"Pi-plu…"

"Really…"

Luna opened her eyes. She shifted her legs out from under the covers of her bed, and let them hang over the side. Meticulously, she pushed herself the rest of the way, standing in front of her bed. She walked to the window, and then she walked to the door, and then back to the window. After staring out for a moment, she turned away, looking down to Piplup. "Okay!" she said in a notably brighter tone. "I'm back! Thanks for waiting!"

Piplup didn't answer her, but gave a small smile as he nodded.

"I'm sure it'll be fine if we stay in this room tonight, but just to be sure, let's make a formal request to Nurse Joy. We never did get to do that…"

Piplup nodded and began to follow as Luna headed toward the door, but then stopped, casting a glance toward the window for a moment before giving a worried start. Crying out, he leapt up, grabbing onto Luna's shoulder and pulling her to the ground with surprising force.

"A-agh! Piplup!? What's-?"

Suddenly Luna heard a massive 'boom', and her window shook and shattered inward. A dull wave of force washed over her as shards of glass just barely missed her. Taking a panicked breath, she asked, "Wh-what was that?"

Piplup hurried to the broken window, defensively looking outside.

Luna rolled over to look up at the window as well. "What's going on? What's happening out there? Do you see anything?"

"Piplup shook his head, but kept his gaze outside all the same.

A few stunned and worried moments later, Luna cautiously brought herself to her feet. "What in the world is going on?"

Just as she spoke, the lights cut out, leaving the room shrouded in darkness. A moment later, red emergency lights flicked on, and an odd scraping sound could be heard from the window as metal shutters closed down, blocking the faint light of the moon. Piplup backed away from the window as the shutters neared him, and Luna gazed on with worry. "I don't like this," she said. With a crashing finality, the shutters reached their end.

* * *

Abra continued to strain his focus, almost frantically now.

Gene took a breath, and the moment to readjust his glasses. "Not to pressure you, Abra, but is something wrong?"

"A-aaa-… A-aab."

"It's not very reassuring when you say it like that…"

"A-aha- Abra aaba abrara abara. …Aaaaa…"

"That's not any better! So just tell me the truth!" Gene retorted, growing impatient.

"Aaaa… Abra bra…"

Gene gave a start. What Abra had said… Gene just had to take a moment to really consider the implications… "What do you mean you 'lost it'…?" he whispered. "How can you lose it!? It's a bomb! It's very, very bad if you lose it! So tell me, honestly, where is it?" he cried, frantically now.

Whatever Abra said next could only be translated as incomprehensible blubbering, as tears streaked down his face.

Gene was about to say something more, but then the lights simply cut out, leaving the group in silent darkness. "…What… did you… do?"

All Abra could do in response was continue crying loudly.

Mawile let out a sigh. "Mawile ma awiee…"

* * *

The sun had sunk beneath the sea, and now Batou sat sulking in a corner. "I'm dumb… I'm dumb… I'm dumb… Everything I do is dumb. Everything I do just… screws up, and makes the world… worse…" he muttered to himself. Growlithe sat before him. He looked worried, and Batou knew how much it must hurt him when he got like this. But still… Even knowing that, he couldn't help it… And that only made his depressed state even worse.

The front meeting area was still packed full. Most everyone else seemed to be in good spirits. The many visitors kept Nurse Joy busy, though she'd still occasionally cast a worried glance in Batou's direction. Realizing this just made Batou feel worse.

A few times he raised his head, just to let it fall back against his knees. He didn't drop it hard enough to hurt himself, but it was something of a motion induced by his feelings of pity and self-loathing. He just kept repeating it, over and over, blocking out everything else.

But then something happened that he couldn't ignore. There was the sound of an explosion from outside, and the many windows that comprised of the front side of the building rattled and cracked, but did not shatter. Their material was far too sturdy and well designed for that.

Batou felt a wave of pressure wash over him, and realizing something odd was happening, he forced himself to look up. Unlike Batou's queer and disinterested reaction, the rest of the people gathered seemed understandably panicked. A few of them had fallen when struck by the shockwave, but it seemed like distance and the building's structure had softened whatever explosion there might have been.

While everyone was still recovering the overhead lights lost power. A moment later and the emergency lights were on, and the metal storm shutters began to descend, blocking off the windows and doors. A few people had the presence of mind to try to get outside before the shutters completely closed. Unfortunately, the automatic entry doors failed to respond, and soon, everyone was sealed in by the storm shutters.

This is naturally when panic began to break out in full. "Excuse me! Everyone, can I have your attention please?" Quick to act, the always reassuring voice of Nurse Joy spoke up. "It seems that the Pokémon Center's hurricane shield came online when we lost power. We're running on backup generators for the moment, but rest assured that this is all completely normal, and that there is no cause for alarm. I'll be working to assess and resolve this situation as quickly as possible, but in the meantime, please understand that there is no present cause for alarm. Please try to remain calm until then."

_Until the situation is resolved, or until there __**is**__ cause for alarm?_ Batou shook his head. _No. That's bad. I shouldn't think like that… I know what she meant._ At the very least, the announcement got Batou to his feet.

A voice called out from the crowd. "But what about that explosion outside!? What was that? What if there really is cause for alarm!?"

"Well," Nurse Joy said with a perturbed smile, "as the storm shutters currently block my view outside, I really couldn't say what it was. As for cause for alarm, those shutters are standard of all Pokémon Centers, and designed to withstand the most powerful forces of nature, up to and including a tsunami. So if there _is_ any outside danger, there would _still_, based on all available information, be no cause for alarm."

"B-but, you don't know, right?" called another voice. "If you just open the shutters now it could put all of us in danger!"

_…__And the vein on her forehead grew five sizes too big that day…_ "Her eyes just scream, 'stop trying to incite a panic, you morons', don't they buddy?" Batou whispered to Growlithe.

Growlithe gave a quiet, affirmative bark through a relieved grin.

"Well…" Nurse Joy began, still doing an admirable job putting on friendly and welcoming show, and answered, "As I have a direct line to the police station, I would naturally rely on that and base my decisions around information and advice from them. As for any other questions, I won't know until I call and find out what's going on."

Regardless of whether all present were comforted by Nurse Joy's words, no further interruptions came, and Nurse Joy was able to begin whatever tasks the immediate situation called for. Batou looked down to his companion. "So what do you think? Should we worry?"

Growlithe barked cheerfully, and Batou nodded.

"Right! I can't allow myself to be depressed at a time like this! I've gotta be positive! I'm not giving up on making things a little bit better! Maybe if I have a positive attitude, more people will too, and that will just make things easier on Nurse Joy!"

Growlithe quirked a brow at Batou's sudden change, but shook his head with a sigh, grinning brightly along with Batou.

_I only wish I felt that positive… It's easy to say, or pretend but…_ Batou stretched his arms and legs out, breathing deeply. _If all I can do is pretend, then I'll pretend. This will pass… this feeling… And then it'll be real. The positive, and not the negative. _"Everything's going to be just fine!" Batou said, perhaps a bit too loudly.

Just then, there was a clatter from above, and all around the room, **_objects_** began to fall from above. "Bwaagh!?" Batou cried. "Is it raining **_candy_**!? Positive thinking is amazing!"

Growlithe grimaced, breaking into a growl upon seeing the objects.

In spite of his upbeat reaction, Batou approached one of the objects cautiously. Reaching down, he picked it up with one hand. "Is this…a pokéball? Is it made out of an egg timer?" As he spoke, a knob on the face of the pokéball was slowly counting down. It was nearly all the way to zero, and just a moment after Batou had made his observation, it clicked.

Instinctively realizing the danger of holding such an object, Batou threw it aside. Before touching the ground, the pokéball lit up and burst open. It wasn't alone. All of the other pokéballs which had fallen around the room did the same. Cast in the faint red glow of the emergency lights, it was difficult for anyone to see what was emerging. In Batou's case, he observed as a large, waving black mass emerged from the Pokéball. "O~kay… That's scary. But who knows? Maybe it's friendly?"

Growlithe stepped in between Batou and the newly emerged Pokémon. "Aro…" Growlithe growled, urging Batou to stay behind him. Growlithe stood on all fours, front lowered defensively.

The black mass before them rose up. "Mu-…" It shuddered, giving a pained cry. "Mu-muuuu…" It's form rippled, and shook. The tone of its call and its movements made it clear that this creature was in pain. Lots of pain. It reared back and screamed. "Mmmuuuuuuuuuuuuukk!"

The entire room shook, not from this one call, but from the cries and terrified screams of people and Pokémon alike. Batou grit his teeth. "They're about to attack… People will get hurt; we've got to do something."

"Muuuuuuk!"

"Ghgh…" Batou shirked back, glaring at the Pokémon before him.

"Grrr! Aro! Ro!" Growlithe barked.

"Ah!? Growlithe, what are you?"

Growlithe canted his head, motioning toward the rest of the room.

Batou looked around the room. It was already in full chaos. "I understand… But are you sure? You just recovered from that trainer battle earlier."

Growlithe nodded. "Growlithe growli! Ro!"

Batou hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Right… Just be careful, bud. I don't like the look of this guy."

"Muuuuuuuuu-ack. UUUUUUUUK!"

Growlithe lowered his glare to his opponent. "Grrrr…."

"Right…" Batou relented. "I'm going. Just be careful!" With that, Batou turned, leaving Growlithe to battle the black, oozing Muk alone.

* * *

Slowly, the door opened into the hallway. The creaking of its hinges only elevated the ominous foreboding which had fallen over the hall. Luna peered out, and found the hallway to be bathed in the same ominous red light as her room was.

Stopping her from proceeding any further, Piplup waddled into the hall, scanning for signs of danger. He no doubt meant the act to be heroic, or protective. All it really came off as was humorous. Smiling to herself, Luna ignored Piplup, stepping into the hall.

"P-pi-plu. Piplu pi piplu. Piplup pii-plup pi!" Piplup scolded.

"It's fine, Piplup. I can't just bury my head in my room and hope everything's going to get better. I need to find out what's going on. We both do. So stay with me, kay?"

Uttering an uncertain groan, Piplup relented, falling in behind Luna as she made her way down the hall.

"…It's pretty creepy in here, isn't it? Especially with how high tech the entrance is," Luna commented.

The hallway wasn't so sci-fi esque as Luna had expected. Just like the ordinary door to her room, it was an ordinary hallway. She got the feeling the much of the outer parts of the Pokémon Center had been rebuilt and remodeled, but the back areas, such as the guest rooms, were mostly old building.

"Technology really has come a long way. There're probably all sorts of scientific breakthroughs us normal people have never even heard of," Luna continued with her commentary. At this point, she was only really doing it to comfort her own growing sense of unease. There was something _wrong_ with this hallway. Like an ephemeral pall had fallen upon it, pricking at the senses but invisible to logical scrutiny.

_Its places like this that make people believe in ghosts…_ Luna continued on her way, and to ease her mind by trying to think of more commentary, though she'd stopped voicing it out loud. She began to wonder how far she had walked. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her room's door still open. She'd forgotten to shut it, but the thought of going back now honestly frightened her. The uncomfortable sense she felt from this hallway was enough to drive her back to hide. But, it was a desire she could not indulge. She refused to turn back now. "It can't be much farther."

It wasn't as though the end of the hall was so far away. Rather, Luna's own feelings of dread seemed to affect her senses, making it waver and flee before her. But as step by step drew her on, Luna began to realize that it was not merely her growing dread which worked against her. "A-…agh…" Losing her balance, Luna fell against the wall, garnering Piplups worry. "S-…Sorry… I just… Uhn…" Sliding down to the floor, Luna took a few heavy breaths. _What in the…? What is this feeling?_ Luna unconsciously reached out, feeling the side of her neck where she'd been bitten. _It's like the world is spinning all around me… I-is it… Is it this? This… blight, inside of me? Is that what's doing it?_

Piplups dull and distant cries made Luna realize her focus on the material world had waned. Forcing her senses back to herself, she drew the voice closer. _Yes… If I can just… focus on that… I'll be okay._

"… -plu! Pi-plu, piplu pu! Pi-plu!"

Luna winced in pain. She realized she had been holding the side of her neck so tightly she had been digging into the skin. Her fingers felt wet… Pulling her quaking hand away from her neck and holding it before her eyes, she saw. It was blood. She'd clawed at her neck hard enough draw blood, but there was something… wrong… Reeling back into the wall in horror, Luna realized what it was. The blood on her fingers was black.

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing it away. She didn't want to imagine what such a thing would mean. But… if it was real, she had to face it, right? Slowly she opened her eyes, and looked at her hand. _No… No, I was wrong. It's fine… My blood is red, just like everyone else's. I was only imagining it…_ It was hard to tell in this lighting anyway. For now, she'd make herself believe it. …She **_had_** to believe it.

Having mostly regained her balance, Luna pushed against the wall, bringing herself to her feet, but leaving a faint red streak where she touched. Piplup looked understandably worried. Luna gazed down to him, sadness in her eyes. "Sorry… I'm better now, don't worry."

"Pi-plu…"

Luna stepped forward once again. "Let's keep going. We need to…-!" She stopped midsentence, giving a start. "Th-… There's something ahead."

A shadow played against the wall. It's pained and contorted movements were all too familiar to Luna, but it was not the same as she remembered. It couldn't be. The shadow was large. Far too large to be what she remembered. And with horror, Luna knew; this would be worse.

Slowly, the object of Luna's fears slithered around the corner. It was slow, but still slammed into one wall then another. It coiled and wavered in pain, but then it saw her. It gazed at Luna's feet at first, but then raised. It lifted its head higher and higher, until it glowered over Luna. The sail on its neck blocked out the nearest light, casting the creature's countenance in deadly shadow.

And Luna stood still. She was unable to move; she couldn't even think of moving. She could only stare up to it. Meet its gaze. She couldn't think to run, and she certainly couldn't think to fight. Horror like she had never felt welled up inside of her, and in spite of that; no, because of it, she could not make a sound.

The beast uttered its pained cry, wavering backwards and forward and so forth before it's inevitable, fatal strike. "Cshhhh, cshhh, cshhhhaaaahh… Cshaaaa cshaaaaAAABOK!"

* * *

Panic was inevitable. With so little light, an army of frightful monsters suddenly appearing all around will naturally cause that reaction. Even without the ominous glow of the emergency lights, it's still a frightening prospect. Nurse Joy had rallied the Blissey, and called for all visitors to take shelter in the operating rooms. Unfortunately, the sheer quantity of foes that had descended upon the meeting area made it nearly impossible for everyone to reach her, and for their part, it was all the Blissey could do to merely hold off the waves of attackers from reaching those who'd already retreated to shelter. Those who were cut off had little choice but to desperately battle through waves of frightful Pokémon in the hopes of breaking through.

One such holdout was a young boy, out on his first journey with his Pokémon. The boy's Charizard had already exhausted his strength, and taken more than a few blows. He'd given out worse than he took, but the little hits every other attack began to wear on him, and a swarm of foes began to descend upon him.

"Don't give up, Charizard!" called the young boy. "We're nearly through! Just one more! Flamethrower!"

Charizard coughed, but stubbornly refused to give. A gout of flame formed in his mouth, and he spew it forth, engulfing an attacking Ariados and Venonat in flames. Both creatures cried out in agony as the flames compounded their existing pain. They both fled before Charizard's attack, but they were not his only foes. A Beedrill descended from above, charging for the boy instead. The boy was so taken off-guard by this assault that he failed to react, but Charizard, in spite of his wounds, was faster. Using the last of his strength to move with a burst of speed, Charizard intercepted the Beedrill's rush, suffering the blows of three stingers straight to the core of his body. Charizard grit his teeth, but refused to cry out, more for the sake of the boy than his own.

Lurching forward, Charizard clutched the Beedrill with both arms, pulling it from his chest and slamming it to the ground. The Beedrill hit hard, and skidded along for a way. Charizard slammed the ground with all of his strength, cracking the floor and sending a wave of debris toward his foe, but Beedril recovered and was able to evade. It fluttered into the air for just a moment, before landing clumsily. Charizard smirked to himself, realizing that he had injured the bug, but his own pain kept his joy minimal. In his current state, he couldn't fly either. In fact, he was about at his limit. His body was slowing down, and it wasn't responding like it should.

The boy had been silent for a while. The shock of being attacked like that must have affected him. Charizard resolved that he had to clear a path for the boy at all costs. He only hoped the child would have the presence of mind to take it. Summoning the last of his strength, Charizard prepared to charge, but only a moment after he began did he stumble. The pain was too great, and it was all he could do to remain standing. He tried desperately, but his body was no longer responding.

The Beedrill must have sensed weakness, since it began its attack instead. Shakily, it ascended into the air, diving toward Charizard. There was nothing else he could do. Charizard could not move, nor summon fire. There was nothing he could do to defend himself. He prepared himself for the pain that would come, but then there was a flash. A large blade appeared before him, the blunt of it turned away and it swung forth, slamming hard into the Beedril, once again sending the creature to the ground.

At first, Charizard thought it must have been a Scyther which saved him. He collapsed to one knee as he looked to his rescuer, and to his surprise, he saw that he was human. A young man with fuzzy hair, a large blade seemingly forged from a Scyther's claw held before him like a reverse edged sword.

It wasn't the rescuer Charizard had hoped for. In fact, he didn't think the human could do much more than that one, lucky blow. But still… in this desperate situation, as Charizard felt his strength leaving him and he began to fall, he silently thanked the young human. He had no choice now. He would have to leave the rest to him, and as he hit the ground, he silently urged him… _Please… Save… my friend…_

* * *

Batou heard the thud as Charizard hit the ground, but the Beedrill was already up again. He couldn't turn his attention away. In spite of that, the boy's cries from behind him echoed deeply in his mind. "Ch-…Charizard… Charizard, get up! You can do it! I-I… I believe in you…! Get up…! Please."

Batou could sense no motion behind him, and before him, the Beedrill attacked. It charged straight, but then weaved to Batou's right, stabbing forth one of its arms. Batou parried the blow from above, deflecting it to the groud at his left, then immediately shifting his blade and stepping in, he swung forward striking the Beedrill cleanly in its center with the blunt of his blade. It was a strong, solid hit, and it succeeded in knocking the Beedrill back, but it didn't seem to have taken much damage.

The boy behind him spoke up again. "O-okay. Charizard, good job. Now return." There was a flash of light as the pokéball activated, but something was wrong. "H-hey. I said return. Return; come on! Ch-… Charizard…" Again and again the boy activated his pokéball, and yet it didn't have an effect. Charizard wouldn't return.

Batou stared ahead, his eyes somber as tears began to form in them. He looked to the Beedrill as it shuddered, canting its head in every direction in a disturbing, alien way. "You…" Batou uttered in a tone of contempt. _Growlithe… If this is what you're facing… Then please… _Chancing a look behind him, Batou turned to see the boy clutching Charizard's body, tears streaming down his face. Batou bit his lip, and took a breath. He had to force out his words. "I'm sorry… …We need to go now."

The boy shook frantically. His entire body was trembling. "N-nooo! Charizard… Charizard is-…"

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do for him now. We need to get you to safety."

"N-n-nooo! Not without Charizard! I won't leave him!" Clutching Charizard's tail, the boy tried to pull him.

Batou tried to force back his tears. _The boy hasn't noticed… Charizard's tail… There's no flame there…_ Forcing himself to be strong, Batou urged once again, "We're leaving. I'm sorry, but it ha-…!"

Just then a sense of foreboding came over him. Batou realized his error. He had grown careless, and just for a moment lost his focus. The Beedrill didn't care. And now… Batou turned, but he wasn't fast enough. He couldn't defend himself. And then… the Beedrill was slammed to the ground.

Batou stood frozen for a moment as realization dawned on him. This time, he was the one who was saved. Unable to see his savior, Batou lowered his eyes, and it was there that he found her. The Beedrill lay smashed to the ground, and above it stood a small figure, barely even two feet tall.

She looked up to Batou, a strange mixture of contempt and pride in her eyes, and she spoke to him. "…Maa-ee…"

"Urk…?" Batou blinked in confusion. _Why do I feel like I've just been insulted…?_

"That was a close one. I can tell you're pretty good with that sword, but that doesn't do you any good if you don't pay attention. And besides… You're still only human. There's only so much you can do on your own."

Batou looked up and turned in the direction of the voice. There was now another young man before him, seemingly a few years older than himself. The man smiled behind his glasses, his eyes seeming to show a genuine kindness. In spite of the fear and chaos around him, this man seemed surprisingly calm. Batou breathed out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I guess so… Thanks so much for that. I think you just saved my life!"

"Oh, you've nothing to thank me for. Mawile did that on her own."

"Ah," Batou said, turning to Mawile. "I guess this means I have you to thank, don't I?"

Mawile scowled for a moment, but then softened her expression, folding her arms and turning to look up to Batou with a confident smirk. "Ma- awa. Mawile wai ma. Ma-wawawa!" She laughed in a surprisingly haughty tone for a Pokémon.

The spectacled man laughed lightly, as though he could understand Mawile's words. _They must be really close._ Turning to Batou, he said, "My name's Gene. It is a pleasure to meet you, though I wish it were under different circumstances. I believe you were in the middle of rescuing this child. Best get along with that quickly. Mawile and I will cover your escape."

Batou hesitated for a moment. _But, I wanted to be the hero… …I know he's right though. Helping this boy is more important. And besides… Sometimes, being a hero isn't about being heroic._ Slowly, he nodded his head. "I've got it. Just be careful. These things are more dangerous than normal Pokémon."

Gene grimaced. "Of that, I am aware. More than you know…"

Rather than ponder Gene's meaning, Batou turned to the boy, kneeling down and placing a hand on the weeping child's shoulder. He wanted to say something, but everything that came to mind sounded hollow, and he didn't think it would help much anyway. Placing his sword on the ground, Batou retrieved a yellow ball from his belt and activated it. The sword disappeared in a flash of light. He then lifted up the boy in both arms. The child continued to cry, but didn't struggle any further.

Turning to Gene one more time, Batou spoke to him in a serious tone, "I don't know who you are really, but you seem like someone special. So that's why… I'm counting on you. Please, help them."

Gene stood silently for a moment, a dull, unreadable expression on his face. "Noted."

Nodding, Batou made his way for the Blissey's perimeter, leaving Gene behind as more of these dark Pokémon descended on their position.

* * *

"-AAABOK!" The black Arbok lunged forward unevenly. Luna couldn't bring herself to move, but thankfully Piplup could. Throwing his full weight into it, he pulled Luna to the side. The two of them collapsed to the ground as the Arbok crashed into the floor beside them. It was just as much thanks to their enemy's unsteady attack as to Piplup's quick work that they were both able to avoid injury.

Piplup breathed heavily. Had their foe been any more focused… "Pi-plu? Pi-piplup?"

Piplup called to her, but Luna made no answer. She remained on her hands and knees with her head sunken. She breathed rapidly, and her whole body shook with each breath. She looked as though she might faint at any moment. In either case, she wasn't responding, and there was no way she was going to run in this position. "Pi-plu…" Piplup whispered softly.

Steeling himself, Piplup turned to face the Arbok. He knew running was out of the question, and he wouldn't have Luna to guide him either. No, for this, he was on his own. "Pi-plu…" he whispered again, as though the name itself could give him strength. Raising his eyes, clear and resolute, he spoke with certainty, "Piplup pii-plup pi." It was questionable whether the Arbok understood him. The snake seemed to be out of its mind, but it didn't matter. His words weren't for his foe. Piplup's resolve was absolute. He would protect Luna, and he would do it by his own strength.

Just then, twin flashes of light erupted from behind Piplup, and a moment later, at his side were Shinx and Vibrava. "Pii!?" Piplup cried out in shock.

Shinx scoffed. "Shinx ni. Ni ni nix shin. …Niin…" he explained, an infuriatingly smug gleam in his eye at the last bit. Piplup shook at the insult.

"Braaav… Vib-aav vaava bravaa… Avab braa. Va-ba vava vabra-va." Vibrava cooed before Piplup could react. At the very least, her kind tone was appreciated. And she was right. They all cared for Luna. So then…

"Pi-pip! Pii-plup pi-plupip!" …they would all protect her! Together!

* * *

The black Muk lurched forward, slamming a wide hand down in a wave of toxic sludge. Growlithe weaved to the side, easily evading the slow attack, but splatter from Muk's goopy body still struck him, and with surprising force. Growlithe fell to the ground with a cry, but he wouldn't allow himself a moment's hesitation. Rolling onto both legs, he engulfed himself in flames with a howl. The flames wreathed around his body felt good, like they cleansed the filth from his fur. Growlithe couldn't help but hold a certain amount of contempt for this creature. Tortured though it was, its body was still very much filth. It was hard to imagine a kinder term than that.

Emitting a low growl, Growlithe charged, willing the flames surrounding him to grow even hotter. He hit the Muk directly, burying his forepaws into its body. "Grow-liiiiithe!" howling loudly, Growlithe spewed out explosive flames from his mouth. The blast freed him from Muk's goopy body, sending him high into the air. Growlithe grinned to himself, proud of his successful attack, but before the smoke from his flames had even cleared, globs of a black, unidentifiable goop began flying out toward him.

The globs were poorly aimed, but suspended in the air as he was, there was little Growlithe could do to avoid them. The first two whisked past him harmlessly (save the stench), but the third was on a direct path. Twisting his body, Growlithe attempted to shift his fall enough to avoid a direct hit, and in that, he was marginally successful. In doing so, what would have been a severe hit was turned into a glancing blow, grazing Growlithe's side, and sending him spinning to the ground. Unable to recover, he slammed hard into the ground.

Wincing, Growlithe looked up as the smoke cleared. If his past attack had any effect on the Muk, he couldn't tell. The monster was still just as angry and pained looking as before. With an agonized cry, the Muk fell face first into the floor, spewing forth a wave of toxic muck. Frantically, Growlithe forced himself to his feet, having just enough time to leap to the side and avoid the rolling wave of ooze.

With a glare, Growlithe sized up his opponent. It was difficult to tell where the Muk began or ended, and where the ooze of its attacks was separated. Fighting an opponent that was literally made of oozing filth, on his own and without Batou to help guide his attacks… The realization of what a difficult prospect that was began to dawn on Growlithe.

Refusing to give his foe another attack without reprisal, Growlithe once again wreathed his body in flames and charged at what he thought was Muk's main body. Muk continued to cry out in pain, making no effort to defend itself. At the last moment, Growlithe weaved to the side, circling the Muk instead of attacking it directly. Focusing his energy, he spat a series of explosive fireballs at the Muk. Each one struck, seemingly blowing away parts of Muk's body as the creature continued to cry in agony, yet the pieces which oozed off always came back and reformed.

When it appeared the Muk had been weakened, Growlithe once again charged, leaping high into the air. This time, he focused as much energy as he could before spitting a massive fireball down on Muk. The explosion scattered what was left of its body all around, and Growlithe fell upon the scorched floor at the center of the blast. Surely that was enough to stop it?

In spite of his hopes, the ooze again returned, sweeping Growlithe's legs out from under him, and washing him away with it. It was all he could do to keep his head above the ooze. The Muk's stench was overpowering. Growlithe knew, that as bad as a Muk's poison might normally be… this one was worse. He could smell it, and it tormented his senses. If this Muk managed to poison him, he doubted he'd be able to survive.

Stifling his breathes, Growlithe watched as the Muk began to reform, glowering down at its prey caught in its grasp. Growlithe felt the ooze around him constrict, crushing him painfully while also beginning to pull him under, into the black ooze comprising Muk's body. Knowing full well that getting caught in such an attack wouldn't be something he'd be able to escape, Growlithe frantically began trying to ignite flames around his body. But Muk's body stifled his attempts.

The pain as Muk constricted around him was beginning to overtake him. Growlithe knew he had to escape now, or he'd never be able to. Exhausted of his usual techniques, he began searching for something else. He needed a power, anything that would allow him to escape. In his desperation, Growlithe could feel something new welling up inside of him: A new source of strength.

Grasping and pulling at it with all his might, he forced it to the surface. He could feel his fur standing on end, even constricted within Muk's body. And then, the energy discharged, releasing from within. Muk reeled back as electricity surged throughout its form, releasing his grip on Growlithe. It was enough, and Growlithe ignited his fur, alternating between flames and electricity, causing Muk to recede further until Growlithe could free a paw. Desperately releasing all of his energy, Growlithe kicked, striking Muk's face repeatedly until it could hold him no longer, and Growlithe broke free.

Leaping away and skidding along the ground, Growlithe panted heavily as he considered his new power. The electricity he'd released was weaker than his flames. He knew no amount of practice would ever change that. And yet, in the right situation… Yes, it would be useful.

Having quickly assessed his new capabilities, Growlithe focused. He could feel his energy waning. His whole body hurt, and he'd used most of his strength just trying to break free. Shutting his eyes, he forced himself past the pain; he needed to focus. The electricity had helped him escape, but it wasn't the power he needed right now. He needed flame; more flame, stronger and hotter. He needed to focus everything he had left and use it. This was his last chance; his final attack.

Steadying his stance Growlithe took one more breath, and then his eyes shot open. He charged forward, an intense, focused flame erupting around him as he ran, but it didn't stop there. His speed grew and grew, until he was moving faster, much faster than he ever had before. This opponent… This black Muk… He'd obliterate it!

Leaping through the air, Growlithe slammed into Muk. Not merely slammed, but so great was his speed and force, so hot were his flames that he pierced directly into Muk's body, and for the split second he was at the center, his flames burst, extending outward with both force and heat. And then that fraction of a moment was gone, and Growlithe continued on, bursting out the other side and skidding along the ground, having landed safely on his feet.

The Muk ballooned outward for the brief moment that Growlithe had released the full force of his flames within it, and when he burst out, Muk shriveled, collapsing on the floor. Growlithe breathed heavily. He had exhausted all of his strength, and he thought his legs could give at any moment. He wasn't sure how it was even possible to damage such a creature, and for the moment, he didn't care. It wasn't moving now. For the moment at least, its threat had been ended. Growlithe doubted it had been put down for good, but he didn't have the strength left to consider the matter further either.

Looking to the side, he saw that amidst the chaos, Nurse Joy's Blissey had formed a defensive perimeter. He would be safe there… He told himself that he could at least make it that far before he collapsed. He fell to the ground where he stood instead, cursing his own weakness. Now he'd make Batou worry…

* * *

The world swirled together, more a mess of colors and noise than a coherent tapestry of light and sound. Luna was barely aware of her surroundings, withdrawn into a bizarre half-world she couldn't quite describe. She felt like she was stuck somewhere between body and soul, like there was something driving a wedge between who she was, and what she was. Yet if she tried, she could, just barely, make out what happened around her.

Her Pokémon; all of her Pokémon fought against the black Arbok, their forms weaving and twisting before Luna's eyes. It was a distant thing to her, yet a thing so filled with regret and despair that she could not bear it upon her mind. The thought as a whole fragmented, and she considered the pieces.

The first was more a sound than anything else. Through her hazy mind, Luna recognized it as Vibrava. A memory conjured itself within her mind. It was the first time she had met Vibrava, more than a decade earlier. Luna was only a young girl back then; younger even than most children at the start of their Pokémon journeys. Back then, Luna wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer more than anything. Her father was always protective of her, but he also had a tendency to dote on his little girl.

One day, Luna's father came home with a surprise after being away on a long trip. He explained to her that he'd acquired a wild Pokémon and released it in the back yard. He suggested Luna could have a little adventure of trying to capture the creature, all from the safety of home, with the supervision of the family butler, Lassiter.

Luna was so excited to see what her father had brought, yet when she reached the backyard, she (along with her ignorant father), was shocked to find a rather sizable sand trap in the backyard. At the center of the sand trap sat a rather unhappy looking Trapinch.

It really did seem like a grand adventure, and Luna wasted no time in sending out Piplup to 'Get that Sandy Hole Digger!'. Piplup was rather gung-ho about it as well; at least until he took one chomp to the noggin'. After that, he was frantically crawling through the sand, screaming with tears in his eyes and a Trapinch stuck to his head.

Luna was terrified, and actually started crying right along with him. The three of them must have been quite the sorry sight. Lassiter wanted to intervene, but Luna wouldn't allow it. She could remember crying loudly even as she insisted that she would get it herself.

Eventually, Trapinch realized that Luna and Piplup were no real harm to her. She released Piplup, and approached Luna, who had by this point completely broken down in tears. Trapinch tilted her head, apparently bothered by the girl's crying. She seemed sensitive to it; compassionate even. Luna on the other hand, seized the opportunity to bonk her on the head with a pokéball, possibly harder than she should have.

Luna eventually realized that Trapinch had only really attacked because Piplup had frightened her. Most of the time, she was actually quite timid and reserved. She showed herself to be such a kind and nurturing Pokémon. By the time Luna was old enough to actually go on a journey with her Pokémon, she didn't really want to anymore. She didn't want her friends to get hurt, and was happy to just play with them at home.

Luna couldn't help but smile at the memory. It was a somewhat guilty smile, though. From that point on, the groundskeeper had such an impossible time keeping things tidy, thanks to Trapinch. Looking back on it, Luna couldn't help but to feel a little ashamed for all the extra work she and Trapinch must have put the poor fellow through.

Eventually, that Trapinch evolved into Vibrava; the same Vibrava which now fought at risk to her own life in order to protect Luna. The thought tormented Luna. _Why does she do this…? Why risk her life for me? I didn't ask for that… I'd never ask for that! …So… why…?_

But that wasn't it. Vibrava wasn't alone. Sparks flew through the air, and Luna could feel her hairs standing on end just from proximity. She couldn't very well forget him… And once again, a memory came unbidden to her mind.

It was five, or… six years ago? Thinking on it, Luna realized just how much of her life blended together. Very little had changed for her over the years. Something had started digging through the trash, and digging up the gardens. Naturally, Trapinch was the prime suspect.

Luna was sure that her friend wasn't the one responsible, which wasn't to say that Tripinch didn't dig holes or cause trouble. She did; frequently, even if the trouble was unintentional. But this was different, and besides which, Trapinch had assured her that it wasn't her. So Detective Luna set out to find the culprit!

Eventually Luna discovered the real 'criminal' was a wild Shinx who'd somehow infiltrated the manor grounds. Even back then, Shinx had a very arrogant personality. It drove Piplup mad, and he insisted time and again on apprehending the villain himself! And yet… any time he tried, the battle was over in about two seconds. Shinx won every time.

Piplup must have attempted to defeat Shinx on a dozen different occasions, and yet, he never seemed to make any progress. In the end, it was Trapinch who took down Shinx, and Luna was able to capture him. Piplup was upset at first, but he seemed to get over it eventually. His rivalry with Shinx, however, never changed.

Even after being captured though, Shinx was always causing mischief. In particular he drove Piplup up a wall, and the two always got into fights, both verbal and physical. Luna never understood why he acted the way he did. Even after being captured, he refused to listen to her. He was always stubborn, and followed his own path. Yet, at some point, that changed. He became more friendly, and started following Luna's direction. Shinx became her friend.

_When did that happen? When did he change? I don't remember. It was so gradual, but what brought it on? I can't remember… Does Shinx? Does he remember? And now he fights to protect me. He's fighting an enemy he knows could kill him. I-Is he… doing it for me? Why? What changed? Why is he trying so hard?_

But there was one more. One final Pokémon standing in Luna's defense. There was no complicated reason for this. No long story. Luna had known Piplup her entire life. She could not remember ever being apart from him. In her earliest memories, he was there; always beside her. Always laughing, and playing, and getting mad, and crying. He was always there. And he was with her now too. _He's fighting with everything he has; maybe even more than the others. He tries harder than anyone else; even if he's outmatched. Even if he can't do it, he tries anyway. And I… I don't even question it. I expect it. I rely on it, because… Because, he's always there._ Luna's thoughts grew more firm, and her resolve began to flow back into her. She didn't need to have a reason. There was nothing special about it at all. It was just a natural thing to do. Maybe not an easy thing to do, but natural. _He's always there. Always where I need him and I don't even have to ask. Because…_ Luna's eyes began to clear. They opened truly for the first time since the battle began, and slowly, she rose to her feet. She surveyed the scene before her, and saw three of her closest friends all fighting to protect her. What reason did it take to move in that way? What was enough?

Luna took a breath. "Thank you, everyone." The battle seemed to slow for a moment. All eyes were on her, but that was alright, because… "You're all my friends, and maybe that's enough. Maybe that's all the reason you need, and maybe that's all the reason I need too. So, thank you. …Thank you for bringing me back, and I promise…" Luna's eyes flashed. Weakness faded away in an instant, and she looked ahead with resolve. "I won't ever allow you to be alone again! From now on, I'm fighting too!"

Luna had stopped thinking about what she was saying. The words flowed naturally from her. She felt a strength within her washing away the blight that assaulted her, and she felt free. She felt clear, and strong. _This power… This is what I can do…_ Luna could practically feel her strength reaching out and synching with her Pokémon. The four of them were united, tied together by a common bond.

For the first time, Luna looked at the black Arbok. She saw the way it moved, and its pain, and for the first time a thought occurred to her. "You… You're just like me, aren't you; and not the way I thought at first." Luna's mind lingered on Estelle. The way she felt back then, and the way Estelle comforted her when she was alone and in tears. "This blight infecting you… It hurts, and tears you from yourself. But unlike me, you don't have anyone. There's no one to support you, or help you through this. So let me do it! I'll help you! I'll find a way to save you too!"

The Arbok felt different to her now. It didn't pain Luna to look at it the way it did before. The agony it felt; Luna understood it, and she hated it. But the Pokémon itself? It was a victim too, just like she was. She sympathized with it. Even as the Arbok coiled and prepared to strike, Luna had made up her mind. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I promise… One day, I'll come back and save you." Then holding out her hand, Luna commanded. "Shinx! Vibrava! Piplup! Triple formation!"

Luna's Pokémon each cried out in agreement.

"We'll save you…" Luna whispered. "Alright! Together! Let's go!"

* * *

Mawile's role was simple: protect Gene, and clear a path for the other humans to reach safety. She understood this without being told, and frankly, the prospect was thrilling. Today she'd get to be a heroic knight, defending the weak and pathetic while battling horrible beasts! It was exciting enough to make her squeal with glee… if Gene wasn't looking… There's no way she was going to let him find out about such fantasies. Her reputation would be ruined!

Most of the survivors of the initial onslaught had already made it to safety, but there were still a few holdouts. With the dwindling number of targets for them, the blighted Pokémon threatened to overrun the few left. This would only get harder the more progress they made.

The entire room had been all but destroyed. The many battles fought upon it had upturned much of the floor, making the footing uneven and treacherous. Spotting a group of survivors huddled together behind their assortment of Pokémon; a Magnezone, Bisharp, and a Metagross, Mawile made her way for them.

These three seemed to be holding their own well enough, but were pinned down by the sheer quantity of enemies. Mawile couldn't help but to scoff. A group such of this should have broken free long ago, yet they were merely holding their ground. If that was all they were capable of, then it would fall upon her to be the deciding force!

As she neared, a few of the blighted Pokémon took notice of her, and turned to attack. Satisfied that she already had their attention, Mawile ceased her charge, turning away from her foes as she reared her jaw-like horn to attack. An oddly shaded, sickly looking Seviper lunged for her, while a surprisingly fit looking Ariados scuttled in an awkward crescent arc toward her.

Weaving to the side as Seviper's lunge struck past her, Mawile clamped her horn tightly down upon the creature's body. She could feel it tense to resist her crushing strength. Even in its current state, its body retained a surprising amount of strength. Nonetheless, Seviper was momentarily stunned by Mawile's grasp. As the Ariados neared her, she turned the opportunity to her advantage, swinging Seviper like a whip, smashing its head into Ariados. Ariados recoiled back from the blow, while a dazed Seviper coiled back, then lunging to sink its fangs into Mawile's body.

Catching Seviper's head in her hands, Mawile forced her opponents jaws shut before slamming it headfirst into the ground. With Seviper thoroughly dazed by this point, Mawile spun twice before releasing it from her horn, sending the creature flying toward a distant wall. Having recovered, the Ariados blindly charged forward once again. This time, it made contact, trampling Mawile to the ground. She winced in surprise, but barely felt the blow itself.

The Ariados stood over her, looking down upon her with a hiss. Coiling her lower body toward her, Mawile kicked with both legs, knocking the Ariados back just enough to gain some room to breathe. With a twist, Mawile drew her horn beneath her, preparing for a moment before using it to launch herself high into the air. With a dramatic, twisting spin, Mawile positioned her head downward, horn outstretched beneath her as its jaws drew open ferociously. She fell directly on top of the Ariados, her horn's jaws clamping shut with a sickening crunch as the Ariados screamed in pain. Facing away from her opponent as she landed, Mawile used her momentum to carry herself forward, lifting the Ariados, still caught within her horn, off the ground and over her head, twisting her horn to slam it down in front of her with all of her might. The floor shattered to dust beneath her blow, and with one final cry the Ariados went limp as it finally lost consciousness.

Taking a breath, Mawile released the Ariados from her horn's grasp, looking over her shoulder toward Gene. He nodded to her wordlessly. Turning forward Mawile made her way toward the holdout group once again. They finally seemed to be gaining ground, if only because more of their attackers turned to engage Mawile. Effortlessly, Mawile smashed a series of smaller Pokémon, Weedle, Spinarak, Skorupi and such, aside. Gene followed more closely now as the hordes of other foes began to close in on them. Grimacing, Mawile resolved to be faster, lest they be overrun.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem likely to happen. The biggest and meanest looking Pokémon still bore down upon the holdouts, and Mawile was going to need to fight through them first, even as more foes closed in around her. "Maaaaa…." she groaned. Nothing could ever just be easy.

"Don't worry. You can handle this. And besides, it's been awhile since you've really been pushed to your limits," Gene said. He seemed to be attempting at encouragement, but Mawile found it more infuriating than anything else. She didn't understand the need for these arbitrary restraints… But it didn't really matter. If he wasn't going to help, she really had no choice but to do it on her own. She still gave him a glare to let him know her feelings. She knew he saw it, but he was pretending not to…

When they were close enough to engage the group directly attacking the hold-outs, Mawile shifted her charge, turning away so as to brandish her horn toward her primary foes, and taking quick hops toward them. Of particular note were a blighted Drapion, and Nidoqueen. The Drapion turned to her first, lashing out with a powerful strike from one of its arms. Mawile blocked the attack with her horn, skidding along the floor as she struggled against the force, but the Drapion was quick to follow with another strike, this time from its tail. Unable to handle both attacks at once, Mawile broke free, the force of Drapion's arm attack sending her spinning along the floor as she just barely managed to avoid its tail.

Mawile growled, casting an angry glare toward Gene, but he merely shook his head. "Not now. You can do this."

This wasn't comforting. Dealing with this foe would be so easy if he'd just help! But Mawile knew there was nothing she could do to convince him, and that thought just made her angry more than anything. So he would do nothing to help? Fine! Then she'd just have to show him she was so strong that she didn't **need** him! She'd prove that she was too powerful for a jerk like him and that he should thank heaven to have her along every day; nay, even grovel at her feet and beg for her grace! And to her enemies, she would **obliterate** them! For a brief moment, she thought she saw Gene smirk, but was already too enraged to care.

"Maaaaaaaa-waaaaaaaiiiii-le!" she screamed, charging directly at the Drapion. She didn't bother to turn her horn to him. She saw him coil and prepare to strike, yet she made no attempt to guard. Drapion was bigger than her, stronger than her, more durable than her, and had a longer reach, and knowing that just made her mad! Mawile burst forward even faster, ignoring Drapion's pending attack. It didn't matter anymore; it didn't have time to react before Mawile thrust her arm forward, delivering a punch directly to the blighted Pokémon's face. Mawile savored the moment, and time seemed to stand still for her. She saw the impact of her fist against her opponent and she loved it.

Then, everything moved forward all at once. Drapion was sent flying back, bowling over numerous other attackers before they even had a chance to close in. Many of the rest flinched, shrinking back as they reconsidered attacking. This was enough of an opening, and Gene dashed forward, weaving past the Nidoqueen as it clashed with one of the holdout's Magnezone.

Breathing heavily, Mawile glanced over her shoulder. A blighted Nidoking still charged her, undeterred by her last attack. Gene was with the rest of the holdouts now, so she didn't need to watch out for him. That was good. It gave her the freedom she needed.

The Nidoking charged headfirst, attempting to slam into Mawile with its full weight, but Mawile was too quick, weaving to the side and swinging her horn at its legs. The Nidoking fell with a thunderous crash. Mawile had no time to celebrate however, as her opponents tail whipped toward her. She had just enough time to block the brunt of the blow with her horn, but the force of the attack knocked her off her feet.

She landed heavily on her back, and to her surprise realized the Nidoking was already on its feet. It rushed her, smashing downward with its arm. Mawile didn't have time to get up, and instead scrambled along the ground, just barely backing away from the blow. Nidoking repeated the attack three more times, forcing Mawile to give up more ground as she floundered back. Finally she slid under a bench, just dodging another heavy blow as it slammed into the ground. Kicking with both legs, Mawile knocked the bench upward, causing it to ring out with a metallic thud as it struck Nidoking's forehead.

Nidoking staggered back in pain, and Mawile took the offensive. Leaping up, she latched onto Nidoking's head, throwing her fist forward as she gouged its eye. Nidoking howled in pain, grasping at Mawile and flinging her from it as it collapsed to the ground, holding its eye in agony. Quick to react, Mawile latched her horn onto the bench from before. Spinning with all her might she whipped the bench around, smashing it once again into Nidoking's skull with a sickening crack.

The blow knocked Nidoking off its feet, causing it to fall on its back. Mawile once again leapt forward, bouncing off of Nidoking's belly to gain more height. She propelled herself high into the air, again shifting her head toward the ground and viciously opening horn to strike. This time, she twisted her body to spin rapidly as she descended. The spinning maw of her horn slammed into Nidoking, cracking the floor and drilling it into the ground, until eventually the ground could give no more. Nidoking spun in place for a moment before being propelled away, slamming into the heavy storm shutters, leaving a heavy dent where he struck.

Mawile landed unsteadily on her feet. She staggered and swayed dizzily, and even then had no time to orient herself as she sensed two attacks coming toward her from unknown assailants. Too disoriented to do anything else, Mawile swung her horn wildly. She felt it connect twice, smashing away whatever creatures had dared to attack her. She tried to make her way back to the holdouts as steadily as possible so as to preserve some air of dignity. Unfortunately, as her senses began to return to her, she saw that they had already neared the Blissey's defensive line. Apparently Gene had managed to rally them to move forward… and left her behind!

Mawile shook with rage, shouting, "W-waaai-eeeeeee! Maaa-eeee, Mawile e maaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiimaaa!" as she chased after them.

* * *

"This is horrible. How… would this even happen?" Luna and her Pokémon had finally arrived at the main entry/waiting area, and what she found there was even worse than she had suspected. There were so many blighted Pokémon. What that meant was, disturbing… "Where are all of the people who were gathered here? A-are they-?" Luna cut off her words. She didn't want to ask the question; especially when she could see a number of shapes lying motionless on the floor.

"Pluuu…"

"Ghhh… A-at least, there still seem to be some people fighting. Those Blissey seem to have guarded off the treatment areas. Let's make our way for them; quietly, so we don't get dragged into the fighting," Luna suggested.

Her three Pokémon nodded quietly, slinking along the wall behind her. It was a nerve wracking experience, sneaking through all of the chaos of the room. If most of the blighted Pokémon weren't directing their attention elsewhere, it would have been bad for Luna. She didn't think her group would be able to hold them off.

It was hard to see with nothing but the emergency lights to guide them. She didn't notice until she was practically on top of it, but not far from the wall laid a small, motionless form. It didn't look like one of the blighted Pokémon. The poor thing must have been overwhelmed. But then to Luna's surprise, she realized the form wasn't motionless. Its body rose and fell ever so slightly with each breath. Forgetting herself for a moment, Luna rushed to the Pokémon's side.

"H-hey," she whispered quietly. The form made no movement, save its breathing. Upon closer inspection, Luna recognized the Pokémon as a Growlithe. A bit of a runt perhaps, but he seemed like he'd have been in good health if not for his present situation. _He is still alive. I can't just leave him here._ Wrapping her arms around the Pokémon's small form, Luna lifted him up, turning back to her own Pokémon.

Piplup had moved ahead a short distance, apparently wanting to take the lead. When he turned to Luna, he gave a small start. "Plupi!?"

"Shhh!" Luna scolded, accompanied by a stern glare by Shinx. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Mmmk…" Piplup made an odd noise, contorting his face in shame for is outburst, but turned away, shaking his head dismissively.

"Well, alright. Let's go then," Luna said. She was curious regarding Piplup's reaction, but didn't wish to press the matter. Not with the danger of the present situation.

Before the group could make much progress however, Luna heard a low tone from behind her. "Mm…muuuuu…"

"…!" Spinning around, she saw a mound of black sludge rising up. She hadn't even noticed it before. Realizing the danger if this Pokémon drew attention toward them, Luna quickly turned to Vibrava. "Vibrava. Supersonic!" she whispered.

It wasn't an ideal solution by any means. But it was the only tool Luna had to escape without a fight. Vibrava flew toward the rising Muk, emitting sonic vibrations from her rapidly beating wings. She knew the danger as well, and was holding back as much as she could. Luna just hoped it would still work.

The Muk threw itself forward, but its aim was poor. It slammed face first into the wall without coming near Luna. For her part, she couldn't tell whether it was Vibrava's attack which had disoriented the creature, or if it was simply so pained and out of its wits that it couldn't think straight. In either case, it didn't seem like they'd drawn any attention. Luna was grateful for that at least. The Growlithe shifted uneasily in her arms. Clutching his form tightly, she whispered to her own Pokémon. "Come on."

* * *

Batou sat silently at the young boy's side. All around them were sounds of distress, but between them there was only silence. Worry tore through Batou's soul. His leg fidgeted in place, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He wanted to, but he just couldn't. Not when the child beside him seemed so broken.

The boy said nothing; he did nothing. All he could manage at this point was to stare blankly ahead of him. He'd stopped crying, but what he was now seemed worse. He was one of the living dead, lost to the waking world.

Batou's emotions tore through him. A thousand words screamed in his mind; he desperately sought the right one to say, but none appeared. Every word, every consolation, was hollow. What could he possibly say to mend a sundered soul? And so, he said nothing. His conscience bound him, and because of it, he did nothing of value. He wanted to run; try to help others; find Growlithe… But he couldn't. He couldn't leave himself to abandon the child now.

A soft sigh escaped Batou's lips. He felt completely useless. Even now, there was nothing he could do… Or at least, there was nothing he could bring himself to do. And so, Batou, and the child he had saved, sat silently on the floor of a small room, overcrowded with frightened victims of tragedy. And they did nothing…

* * *

Luna breathed a sigh of relief as the Blissey ushered her past. The room she now found herself in was oppressive with dread, but it didn't matter. It was still better than what was beyond. It seemed Luna arrived just as the last group of survivors made their way in. The four Blissey that had warded the way crowded in after, and the door was slammed shut and locked behind them. The monsters outside crashed against it, but for now at least, it would not budge.

Luna could hear frightened children crying, and distressed voices all around her. The room was so overcrowded… It made Luna uncomfortable, but at the very least, everyone seemed far too distressed with worry to pay much attention to her. That, at least, helped to ease Luna's anxiety, if only slightly.

A voice drew Luna's attention. "It's you…" Stumbling slightly, Luna turned and saw Gene standing nearby. He had a weary expression as he rubbed his eyes. Returning his glasses to their proper place, he added, "I see…" It seemed like he was going to say more, but his words never came. Something about his tone seemed unflattering to Luna.

"…Yeah…" she answered quietly. She didn't know what to say exactly. Luna knew she'd left Gene before in a bit of an odd way. She couldn't explain away her behavior, nor justify it. It was perfectly natural if he didn't seem thrilled to see her. "U-uhm…" she began. She struggled to find the words she wanted, but in the end, the best she could come up with was a lame, barely audible, "I-I'm sorry… about before…"

Silence hung between them for a moment. Luna wasn't even sure if Gene had heard her. Catching sight of the form still wrapped up in Luna's arms, Genes eyes seemed to light a little. "What have you there?" he asked.

"Hm?" It took Luna a moment to realize that he meant the Growlithe she had rescued. "O-oh. I found this guy crumpled on the floor out there. …I-, uh… I couldn't… just leave him behind…" she explained slowly.

Gene scrutinized her for a moment. His eyes seemed like they could peer into her soul. …Luna didn't like the invasion. But then with a slight nod and a gentle tone in his voice, Gene simply said, "Give him here."

Too tired to argue, Luna complied.

Gene nodded appreciatively. "You should recall your Pokémon. It's crowded enough in here. And I'm sure they'd appreciate the rest."

Luna looked down at her feet. Piplup, Shinx, and Vibrava stared up at her, eyes sad. The oppressive atmosphere of this place didn't seem to sit well with them. "Right… That's a good idea." Fumbling around her belt for a moment as she searched for their Pokeballs, Luna quietly returned Shinx and Vibrava, as Piplup hopped up onto Luna's shoulder, clutching lightly to her hair for balance. Luna didn't mind. She gave Piplup a quick pat on the head as she returned her attention to Gene.

Gene had his back turned to her, and for a moment, Luna thought she saw the faint glow of a violet light, but the next moment it was gone. "What was that?" she asked.

"Hm?" Gene asked as he slowly turned to her. "O-oh, well, I…" He seemed to think slightly longer about his answer than he ought have. "The… people, nurse, who works here, is… a bit preoccupied right now. It falls on each of us to do what we can to help the injured. I-I just happened to have a Potion on hand. Anyway, now it'll be up to this little guy. I've done all that I can."

"I see…" Luna answered slowly.

A silence hung between them for a moment. "He's such a small little guy," Gene noted. "But he's lucky to have come out of there so well."

"Pi-pip plupi," Piplup agreed. Luna thought she could sense worry from his tone.

Gene smiled. "He'll be just fine, I'm sure. Don't worry. He's just lucky he hasn't been afflicted."

"Afflicted?" Luna asked.

Gene gave Luna a scrutinizing look. "You… you really don't know, do you?" Gene cast his gaze to the side, contemplatively. "Or… perhaps you just never put it together…"

Luna grimaced. She didn't like the way Gene was talking around her. _What is that supposed to mean? If he has something to say, he should just say it._

Gene returned his gaze to Luna, apparently having made up his mind. "From what I've observed here, it seems that these black Pokémon are afflicted with… a blight, of sorts. Essentially, their poison has become especially lethal and self-destructive to the Pokémon themselves. Those afflicted with it die, though I suspect that it could infect other Poison type Pokémon instead of killing them."

"O-oh, so…" Luna pondered as the realization struck her for the first time, "the black Pokémon are all Poison type Pokémon."

Gene nodded. "Fortunately, I believe that also means that Pokémon immune to poison effects are also immune to the blight. I don't want to put it to a hard test, but Steel types seem like the best Pokémon to combat them with."

Luna nodded slowly. "That… makes sense…"

Gene let out a sigh. "Anyway… As I was originally saying, this Growlithe isn't afflicted with that blight. He wouldn't have lasted this long if he was. So we only need to worry about his physical injuries."

"Which you 'treated'."

"…Yes."

Once again, silence set in. A thought dawned on Luna. _Wait… So, that means… I really should have died… But why didn't I?_ Luna shook her head. She didn't want to think about that right now. Instead she asked, "Where do they come from?"

Gene seemed to contemplate his answer. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before…" His brow furrowed as he said this. He seemed to be lost in thought.

_…__You do know something… don't you?_

* * *

Gene couldn't get the thought out of his mind. _Why…? Why this? Is this really the answer you were seeking…?_

He dismissed his line of thinking. It wasn't what was important right now. "Right now, we should consider how to get everyone safely out of the building. We're never going to be able to recuperate in this cramped space."

Luna folded her arms. "We're locked in a room with no windows, and there are monsters on the other side of the door." Her shoulders sunk a bit, as the prospect of escape only seemed more impossible after vocalizing the problem. "…I feel like this evacuation plan kind of ran into a brick wall…"

"We're just lucky there was at least one safe place in the building," Gene said. "We'd never be able to escape while fighting off the Blighted Pokémon at the same time." _It's a good thing the operation room is so well secured. There was never an opportunity for the terrorists to set up their trap in here. That gives us hope._

"Yeah, but we're still stuck here. We can't escape from a locked room with no doors. …Or, no viable ones, anyway…"

"Pluuu…" Piplup moaned from Luna's shoulder.

Gene shook his head. "All possibilities are locked doors. You just need to find the key. If there are no doors, then the obvious answer is to create one. …It's too crowded in here to safely tear down a wall though. I'm not sure our Pokémon would be able to do it, even if we did have room."

"Probably a good thing…" Luna remarked. "Otherwise, the mon… the, Blighted Pokémon, could just tear down a wall to get to us."

Gene nodded. "And then there's Abra…"

Luna gave Gene a questioning look.

"My Abra can use teleportation. It's a little risky, but he could evacuate some people. He doesn't have the power to clear out this room though. Anyway, it's a moot point. He wiped out what little energy he had de-… earlier… I doubt he'll wake up any time soon…"

Luna blinked with a start. "W-…? Wait, we can just… teleport out? Seriously!?"

"Teleportation is a rare ability," Gene explained, a little perturbed at Luna's outburst. The room was so crowded… He didn't want to get the hopes up of anyone who might be listening. "Very few Pokémon can learn it, and of those few, it's still unlikely that any given one we might find would actually know how to do it. Even if my Abra was awake, there are still too many people, and too vast a delay for it to be especially viable. Still, it's a fallback option I suppose."

Luna was being oddly quiet. Turning his attention back to her, Gene noticed that she seemed especially pale. She was trembling, and her gaze had fallen to the floor. _She must be taking this situation harder than I thought…_

"Pi-plu…Pi-pip Pi-plu," Piplup spoke gently. He seemed to be trying to comfort the girl.

Gene couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. He knew it wasn't really, but it still felt like Luna's reaction was his fault. _Actually, this is a familiar feeling, isn't it?_ Gene wasn't quite sure what he should do. Misstep and he could make the situation worse. "Don't worry," he said. "I promise, everything is going to be okay. …If it comes to it, I'll…"

"Excuse me, everyone," a voice called out. It was the voice of Nurse Joy. "The police have been informed of our situation. Due to the nature of our situation, they've decided to drill through the North wall to get to us. I would ask that everyone please, for their own safety, give as much space to the wall as possible. Help is coming, but it will take some time before they can reach us. Everyone please remain calm until then. The Blissey and I will do what we can to help the injured in the meantime."

For some reason, this news struck Gene as being terribly odd. _Just wait for help to arrive? Could it really be that simple?_ He couldn't help but to smirk. _Well, I guess I should learn that I don't need to do everything myself after all._ He turned his attention back to Luna. The girl didn't seem to be much better. She had fallen to the floor, but at least she seemed less pale. Her breathing had evened out a bit as well. Piplup looked mildly relieved.

Gene's expression softened. _You said your name was Luna. …Maybe I was wrong. I don't know the answer, and I can't even come close to guessing. ...For now, I'll give you the benefit of doubt. But I will… find the answer…_

* * *

Luna didn't know how many hours had passed. She'd quietly dozed off a time or two, sitting on the floor, but it wasn't a position she could really sleep in. Eventually, the police had broken through the wall, and began escorting people out of the building. A few people were rushed away to the hospital, while most people were seen to nearby. The police asked everyone for their accounts of what happened. Before Luna knew it, it was dawn.

Luna didn't like having to answer so many questions; being rushed from one thing to another. It was a relief to finally have a moment's peace. She sat on the cool grass, Piplup in her lap and the two of them watched the sun come up. "It's pretty. The world's full of so much wonder."

"Pi-pip."

"…I hope I get to see more of it."

"There's a lot out there. You could spend your whole life chasing wonders if you wanted."

Luna turned with a glare. "Uh, not talking to you!"

"Wh-what?" Gene laughed. "Why are you mad at me?"

"Not mad… Just creeped… You're a creeper; why are you following me?"

"You're imagining things. I am, simply, where I am. Which happens to be where you are."

"When you say it like that you sound like even more of a creeper!"

"Wai-e maa mae," Mawile nodded in agreement. She seemed happy to be freed of her pokéball once again.

"Oh?" Gene slanted his head. "Then I apologize."

Luna sighed. "Oh, whatever…"

The four of them stared out toward the horizon. _I wonder. What are we supposed to do now? We nearly died… We could have died, but we didn't. It doesn't feel like something that I can just forget, but I… I don't want to dwell on it._ Luna smiled. _I'm alive._

Suddenly Piplup stirred in her lap. "Pii?" Catching sight of someone familiar, Piplup hopped up and ran toward him.

"Piplup!?" Luna called after him. "What are you-?" She cast her gaze over the figure Piplup had run toward and realized that he looked familiar. _Wait, but that's…_

The boy, his attention caught by Piplup, slowly made his way toward Luna's group. His gate was slow, and plodding. His countenance was dark, and sullen. Luna couldn't help but think he looked something like a zombie, and briefly entertained the idea of reacting as such. But ultimately, the boy looked far too sad to torment in such a way.

He stopped just in front of them. It seemed like he'd been in a daze, and by the look of it, he'd been crying as well. His eyes seemed to clear enough for him to recognize Luna. In a flat tone he said, "O-oh… Hi. I-I'm really sorry about what happened earlier, but I'm glad you made it out okay. I… I-I'm really sorry…"

As he spoke, a form that had been sleeping peacefully beside Gene stirred. It yawned, and slowly rose. Through sleepy eyes, it looked up. The boy's attention was caught by the motion, and for the first time he laid eyes upon the figure. The boy's eyes grew wide with disbelief, yet the light of hope returned to them. A faint mist formed around the rim of his eyes, his voice trembling as he whispered, "Growlithe…?"

Growlithe stared up at the boy, a look of surprise in his own eyes. His expression softened, and formed what could only have been a gentle smile. "Aro."

This was too much for the boy. Tears welled up in his eyes as he fell to his knees, wrapping Growlithe in a tight embrace, crying wordlessly.

Luna smiled, turning her eyes to Piplup. "Good job."

Piplup grinned brightly, patting himself on the chest. "Pip!"

"He was in rough shape," Gene explained. "I did what I could to ease his pain. He's definitely a tough little guy. He's recovered better than I could have expected."

"Ye-…You," the boy whispered, rising to his feet. "I guess, I have to thank you again. I-I…" He struggled to find the words, but none seemed to fit. Instead, he let his actions speak for him. Tears still streamed down his face as he threw his arms around Gene.

"I-" Gene stammered, clearly embarrassed. "I-it was nothing. Really, it was actually Luna who rescued him."

The boy sniffled, releasing Gene from the hug. "I-I see… So, Luna's…" His gaze turned down toward Luna.

_…__Oh no…_ Before she could react to it, the boy was on his knees again, wrapping his arms tightly around Luna's shoulders. "Th-thank you; again, I'm sh- sh-… Waaaaaahhhhh!" Whatever he might have been holding back before, he'd now given up. The boy cried, unabashedly over Luna's shoulder.

…Luna was not amused. "H-hey! Wait; g-get off; what is it with you and hugging; **g-get off I sa-**…?" In spite of her protests, a memory came unbidden into Luna's mind once more. This wasn't the first time someone had embraced her in tears. Only now… Unconsciously, Luna whispered Estelle's words as her tears broke through, "I-it will… be okay…"

Eventually, the tears faded away. The boy stood, cradling Growlithe affectionately in his arms. "Thank you all so much. I'll never be able to repay you two."

"Perhaps, in lieu of such a thing you may start with your name?" Gene suggested. "I believe you have both of our names, though I don't recall yours."

"Ah, right! Sorry; I forgot!" the boy responded brightly. "My name is Batou Holland. I'm very pleased to officially make your acquaintance," he said with a bow. Growlithe dipped along with him (as he was still cradled in Batou's arms), and threatened to topple the both of them over. Batou quickly, if unsteadily, righted himself.

The name struck out at Luna. "Holland…? Is that any relation to Professor Holland? The Pokémon Professor?"

"She's my mother!" Batou replied proudly.

"Whoa, really? A friend of mine is a big fan of her work. …For some reason…"

"Neat! What about my dad's?"

"What does he do?"

"Ghgh... U-uh, actually, nevermind…"

_Well, that's an odd reaction…_

Suddenly another voice broke into their conversation. "Hey, you there! Gotta talk with ya."

Luna gave a start, and turned to see where the voice had come from. A woman approached them from the street. She was reasonably tall, and wore brown pants and a wrinkled button-up white shirt, the collar left unbuttoned and ruffled with a tie loosely thrown around her neck, though it wasn't fastened very well and Luna wondered what the point of wearing it at all was. The woman didn't seem to put very much effort into her appearance, and her hair reflected this, being fairly short length, but wild and unkempt. It was difficult to tell if she had just rolled out of bed or actively tried to style it that way just to seem gruff. Either way, she was an intimidating presence, and that was before noticing the weapon holster with the large handgun in it. Finally, she carried a light brown trench coat over her shoulder.

The woman stopped just in front of them. Her gaze seemed to naturally fall upon Gene. "I'm Special Investigator Asuka Kiske with the International Police. I've questions, for the trainer with an Abra; that you?"

Gene's eyes closed, contemplatively. With a smile, he answered, "Yes."

"Good. You didn't try to lie. That's a start."

"I-I'm sorry, what's going on?" Luna asked.

"Guy popped out of thin air. Teleported right onto the road. Beaten up pretty bad, traces a gunpowder on his hands, and mumbled something about a bomb. …Then he woke up and decided he didn't want to say any more."

"Bomb? Like-?"

"Like the one that blew up in the sky a moment before this whole incident happened."

"S-so that's what happened?"

"Wait," Batou interrupted. "What was a bomb doing in the sky?"

"You tell me," Asuka growled, glaring at Gene. "You're being awfully quiet, Specs. Nothing to say?"

Gene's composure didn't falter, but there was something dark in his tone when he finally did speak. "Please. Can we skip to the end? I'm sure we've all had a long night and are understandably a bit tired."

"Fine by me. I've got a few more questions, but they can wait. You kids… are for all intents and purposes… under arrest."

Gene shrugged. It seems this was about what he was expecting. Luna and Batou, however, both have the same reaction.

"…**_W-whaaaaaaaaaat!?_**"


	6. Asuka's Greatest Foe

Chapter 6- Interogation,

Asuka's Greatest Foe

_Do you learn more from an answer? Or from a question? Miss Asuka, she had a great many questions. Sort of… They were more like accusations, actually… I don't know that our answers ever really satisfied her. How could they? Batou and I, we were just kids caught up in something we didn't understand at the time. And Gene? Well, what can I say about him? Back then, I didn't really understand him at all. …That's, all I really have to say…_

* * *

Luna sat, alone in a cold and dark room. The table before her was barren, and her chair stiff. It was meant to be hostile. It was meant to be uncomfortable. Piplup, Shinx, Vibrava… they were all gone. Taken away somewhere; she didn't know where. The chair across the table was empty. No one was there. She was alone.

And yet in a way that was worse. She had time to think; time to consider it; just where she was. She was alone, and yet, not alone. Luna could feel them. Their eyes watching her. The saw her. Looked down on her. Scrutinized her every action and laughed. They jeered and screamed and their voices cried out in her head! …And yet, there was silence, save for the ticking of a single clock upon the wall. Whoever watched her now, they must be truly cruel; that they would leave her alone with the clock.

* * *

"This isn't funny!" Batou cried out to the walls. He wearily rocked his head back and forth, his arms folded defiantly. "I'm pretty sure you guys can't just arrest random people for no good reason. …I'm seventeen you know, so I'm still technically a kid; you can't just arrest kids for fun. You'll scar them for life!"

He knew no one was going to answer him. At this point, the only reason Batou bothered talking at all was to stave off boredom. He was tired, and his head hurt, but sleep didn't seem an option. He didn't like the feel of this place. The cold walls and dread they brought; if he slept here he was afraid everyone would forget he existed. Then he'd really be in trouble! And so, he continued to call out, even knowing his calls would go unanswered. "I am offended by your lack of respect for justice. One day, retribution shall come for the wicked! …Wait, that sounded like a threat; I wasn't threatening anyone I was just… What I meant was, uh… …I'm boooorrrreeed!"

* * *

The room was silent. It was quiet, peaceful. After last night, it was adequate. Gene slept peacefully, his arms folded on the table so his head could rest on them. His glasses lay on the table as well, though far enough away that they wouldn't be damaged if he moved a little in his sleep.

There was no sense wasting energy. After all, what was there to be afraid of? All he had to do was tell the 'truth'. There are a great many truths in the world. Some are simply more opaque than others. …And besides, if the worst were to happen, he always had _options_. He could do the same thing as before. He could just… disappear, all over again.

…

_...Amy... I don't want… to disappear…_

* * *

_Beyond this door…_ Asuka opened her eyes. Before her was the sole entrance to 'Interrogation Room A'. _…is hope… This is it. A step in the right direction!_ Taking a breath, she opened the door and stepped in. She quietly shut the door behind her, glancing through the rough file she'd put together. _Luna Celeson, daughter to Leon Celeson, the head of… Celeson Acquisitions and Trading… …CAT? You can just tell a real genius came up with that name. But geez, this girl's old man probably makes more money in a month than I do in a year; and I fight crime, dangit! Where's the justice in that, huh!?_

With a huff, Asuka thudded into her chair. The screech as it slid slightly across the floor shrieked through the room, but she still didn't bother to look up from her folder. The rich girl could sweat it out a bit more. _H-huh? Hey wait, I don't remember reading this before. …It's another acronym; let's see… S… stands for, Social Anx-…!? …I hope that's not gonna cause any problems…_

Looking across the table to get a look at Luna for the first time, Asuka found the girl to be… conscious… Sort of. She sat upright in her chair, but her gaze was cast down, fixed upon an unremarkable spot in the middle of the table. Her eyes were wide, and her breathing was slow, and heavy. Luna's arms wrapped tightly around herself, as her fingers clenched to either arm. Her entire body trembled and swayed ever so slightly.

Asuka watched her for a moment, and when she was convinced that Luna wasn't going to make a move on her own, she asked her, "Could you please repeat your name for the record, Luna Celeson?" She'd only really asked to confirm her suspicions. No response came from Luna. Reaching forward, Asuka held out a finger. She waved it about, but Luna's eyes didn't track it. She simply kept staring at the same place on the table. Finally, Asuka stood, her chair screeching as it was pushed away. Leaning over the table, she tapped her finger to Luna's forehead and gave a light shove. The girl teetered backward slightly, and then forward, and then began to sway back again.

"…Huh." Asuka sat back down in her chair, reclining back as she watched Luna teeter back and forth. …She couldn't help but feel a certain degree of shame. This was basically all her fault, after all. "Well, dang…"

* * *

"Okay…" Asuka said as she took a deep breath. "Now, beyond **_this_** door…" she began, staring at the entrance to 'Interrogation Room B'. _…is hope… I hope…_ In this case though, she couldn't help but think that was asking for a bit much. She slowly creaked open the door.

The moment the door made a motion, a voice on the other side called out. "Person!"

The voice was so sudden it actually startled Asuka, causing her to jerk the door the rest of the way open, slamming it against the wall with a loud crash. "W-what the freaking heck, man!?" she cried out at the owner of the voice.

"Eeeeeehhhh… Sorry about that…" came the sheepish, though earnest enough reply.

With a low rumble that could only have been considered a growl, Asuka walked into the room, gently shutting the door behind her. Grabbing her chair fiercely, she practically dropped into it, facing the boy across the table with a stern look. "Name. Now."

"B-Batou Holland, ma'am!" came Batou's quick reply.

"Good. Now why are you here?"

A dumb look spread across Batou's face. "Uuuuuhhhh….?"

"Tch. Come on, speak up!" Asuka shouted.

"I-I don't know! Don't you know!?" Batou stuttered beneath the weight of Asuka's voice.

"Of course I know. Do you know?"

"No, I just told you that!"

"You didn't tell me anything that you know!" Asuka growled.

"Yes, exactly!"

"Then answer the question!"

"I did!" Batou practically cried, shrinking beneath Asuka's yelling.

"AAAAAGGGHH!" A loud crash echoed through the room as Asuka, in her frustration, slammed her head against the desk in front of her.

A dull silence permeated the room. Sheepishly, Batou asked, "U-uhm…? M-ma'am, are you okay?"

"…I hate you. I don't know you, but I already hate you."

"…I'm… sorry…" Batou answered in a depressed tone.

* * *

Asuka sighed, rubbing her forehead. _That was a bad idea... Maybe I'm just a little bit stressed…?_ She looked up, examining the door marked as 'Interrogation Room C'. _Okay, beyond this door… ugh… I don't even care anymore…_

Asuka struck forward, lest she hesitate. Throwing open the door, she quickly stepped through to find Gene sleeping peacefully in his chair. He seemed so comfortable with his situation, a point Asuka couldn't help but to find infuriating. She slammed the door shut behind her.

At the sound, Gene stirred, slowly at first, rousing his head as he stared blankly ahead for a moment. With a sniffle, he rubbed his eyes as he fumbled about the table for his glasses. _…Was he crying? …Maybe not so at ease after all…_ Asuka couldn't tell for certain whether he'd been crying or not, though the prospect of such didn't quite stir her soul.

Making for her chair, Asuka dropped herself into it, carelessly tossing the file of papers she'd been carrying on the table. She wouldn't need them here, and she had no need to review their contents. "Name. Now," she demanded flatly.

There was a notable silence as Gene hesitated in his answer, but at length, he spoke the words with calmness. "Gene Syril."

_Good start…_ "You're not from Johto. Where are you from?"

"Kalos."

_Still true._ "Could you be more specific?"

"No."

Silence set in, save for Asuka tapping her finger against the table as she glared at Gene.

Apparently taking the hint, Gene added, "I've moved a lot…"

"That's not gonna cut it, smart guy. Details, now."

With a mild look of frustration, Gene turned his gaze to the side. "I really don't want to talk about it."

The tapping of Asuka's finger intensified. _…That's true too…_ "Fine," she said calmly. "Then let's move on to the important stuff. Tell me what happened at the Pokémon Center last night. In your words, and don't leave anything out."

* * *

**_Interrogation B: Batou_**

"Look, I really don't know what you want me to say," Batou said, hanging his head a little. "I'm on a journey. I was just spending the night there."

"So, just bad luck to be there _that_ night," Asuka commented.

"Bwaaaagh….! I thought I was gonna die!"

_…__That's… a lie…?_ Asuka couldn't help but be taken aback. "W-wait, what?"

Batou sniffled. "Yeah. A ghost verbally assaulted me, and I thought I was gonna die!"

"A-? I-I see…" _What's the deal? I can't read this guy? Or, did he just lie, and then… What…? _"What the **_heck_**!?"

"Gyeeech!?" Batou cringed at Asuka's outburst. "Y-you're scary…"

Asuka stared at Batou. She seemed to be developing a twitch as her brain tried to process the winding road of this conversation. "What… is… _wrong_ with you…!?"

Batou whined, casting his sad gaze to the floor.

* * *

**_Interrogation A: Luna_**

"Okay, feel better?" Asuka asked.

"Y-yeah… Sorry for the trouble. I-I'm usually… uh… Sorry…" Luna uttered softly. She still looked a bit flushed, but she was talking again.

Asuka ruffled her hair as she glanced around the room. The break room was definitely more inviting than the interrogation rooms. Luna sat on the couch while Asuka towered over her. The faint scent of old coffee was distracting… "Well, I'd be lying if I said you weren't an enormous pain in the butt…"

"Urk…" Luna staggered as the words cut into her. "Um, ow… Sure, I guess I deserved that…"

"Hm?" _Was that harsh? Eh, whatever. She seems fine._ "Alright Miss Safety Tape. Enough pandering. Time to talk about you."

"…S-safety tape…?"

"What the heck are you doing walking around freely?"

"Wh-what!? You arrested me! Why don't you start by explaining that!"

_Oh, now she grows a backbone? Tch…_ "That's not what I mean you idiot! With your condition, you should be confined to a hospital. Quarantined even. Stuck with needles 24/7 so we can figure out why the heck you're the only person out there who can survive this Blight thing."

Luna stared at Asuka, a look of fear in her eyes. "Y-you know about that!?"

"Duh. What part of 'Special Investigator' was unclear? I'd be a pretty crummy investigator if I didn't know something that basic."

"Th-that's… I-I can explain, see-"

* * *

**_Interrogation C: Gene_**

"What? I thought you'd be eager to explain. Give me all the answers I wanted to hear and make everything right. Wrap everything in a neat little bow," Asuka taunted.

"I'm afraid it's just not that easy. I can only account for myself. Anything more than that, is merely supposition," Gene explained calmly.

"Why is it so hard for you to just tell the truth?"

"Well, what fun would that be? After all, isn't it more fun to reach the truth on your own, Special Investigator?"

"This is a terrorist investigation smart off! It's not the sort of thing you can just joke around with!" Asuka shouted angrily.

Asuka's words seemed to cut into Gene's calm. "I-it's not like… I don't appreciate the gravity of the situation. It's just, sometimes, the truth is… hard to say."

"No it's not. You just come out and say it. The best solution will naturally present itself when you have all the information. Kinda an important thing in a, you know, **_terrorist investigation_**!"

Gene grimaced, biting his lip. "I… saw, a suspicious man… I-I followed him, and…"

"That's a lie."

"H-huh? I-I…?" For a moment, Gene looked genuinely confused. Then realization dawned on him, and his casual expression returned. "Oh, I see. I should have realized it sooner. It's impossible to lie to you, isn't it?"

_Caught on, did he?_ "Hardly matters now. Yeah. So don't bother."

"Fair enough. I waited for the man in the basement. When he arrived, my Pokémon and I apprehended him, and disposed of the bomb he carried. When the building lost power, I had Abra teleport the man outside for his own safety, and went to investigate. When we realized what was going on, we did what we could to fight the Blighted and rescue anyone caught by them."

_He's holding a lot back, but what he's saying is true at least._ "Oh, very noble of you. Except you're forgetting one important detail," Asuka remarked smugly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Specifically, that all the people who died yesterday… died because of you."

* * *

**_Interrogation B: Batou_**

"U-uh… excuse me?" Batou asked, perking up his head.

"Like I said, near as I can tell, you're pretty much useless."

"Well that's a bit harsh…"

Asuka shrugged. "Truth is truth. No getting around it. Your parents are pretty awesome. Your mother is a renowned and respected Pokémon Professor, and your father is… a reasonably well known scientist and inventor. Fine pedigree, but you? You're a nobody. A layabout. A _loser_."

Batou sat silently as Asuka assaulted him with her words.

Continuing with her speech, Asuka explained, "Near as I can tell, before a few weeks ago, you pretty much never did anything. Then suddenly you decide to leave home, conveniently in time to get caught up in this whole terrorist mess."

"Ghgh!?" Batou looked up with a start. "W-wait… Y-you… you actually think, I had something to do with that?"

"It's possible, isn't it? Think about it, 'Baka'. This Blight thing, it's pretty nasty stuff. There's no way it's a natural disease. Somebody **made** it."

"Uh, huh… B-but I don't know how to do anything like that!"

Asuka nodded. "Not many people do. But think about it. Really think about it. What kind of skillset would you need to make some Blight that infected Pokémon and killed people?"

Slowly, Batou's eyes widened as realization overtook him. "W-wait, you're saying…"

"Of a very short list of people capable of making something like that, your mother's a likely candidate. Her work gives her just the right skillset to fit."

"N-no way… You can't seriously accuse her!"

"Oh, she didn't do it alone. You also have to consider the delivery mechanism. Those Timer Balls…"

"W-what about them?"

"They're… different… Actually, you have some peculiar items that are a bit **_different_** too."

"…!" Batous thought for a moment before giving a start.

"Yeah, we've been calling them Item Balls. I'm guessing your dad made 'em, yeah? Kinda dangerous to have such a big sword hidden away like that."

"I-It's a reverse edged sword! I'd never use it to seriously hurt, or kill anyone! I just-"

"I don't care about the sword you numbskull! If your dad could make something like that, he could definitely stick an egg timer on a pokéball! It's not like it'd be hard!"

"N-no… He'd never do something like that!" Giving it a moment's thought though, Batou amended his statement. "H-he'd never use them for evil… Though, admittedly, putting a kitchen timer on a pokéball _does_ sound like something he'd do…"

"So, you all but admit your guilt…"

"N-no! Of course not! I-I mean, I was a victim too!"

Asuka gave a huff. "Like I said before…" She kicked up her feet, resting them on the table as she leaned back. "You're pretty much useless."

Tears began to well up in Batou's eyes as he pleaded, "I-I nearly died! G-growlithe, nearly died… all because of me!"

"Yeah, because like I keep saying. You're incompetent. You have one job, and you blow it. That's why you were stuck there. That's why your precious Pokémon nearly died. You screwed up."

Batou cried. He tried to say something, but the words just weren't coming.

* * *

**_Interrogation A: Luna_**

"Oh, no, I get it," Asuka interrupted as Luna began to explain herself. "The fact is you're alive. No one else who's been infected with this thing is. But you did, so that's what matters right? Little rich girl gets to live and wander the world for fun while the meaningless peasants rot. All's right with the world, yeah?"

"Wh-what are you…? What are you saying? You can't blame me for-?"

"Why can't I!?" Asuka cried, her tone growing more and more angered. "Innocent people are dead, and you; someone who was infected with this thing before these attacks began; someone who survived the un-survivable Blight, decided to live your life for fun instead of helping the smart guys figure out how to cure this thing. Did you even realize? Did you even once thing, 'Gee. Maybe this Blight thing is kinda dangerous, and I should use the gift of life I've been given to try to find a way to cure it, just in case, you know, someone less important than me were to ever get infected with it too!'"

Luna had curled her legs up close to her, burying her face in her knees as Asuka screamed at her. "S-stop…"

The girl looked about ready to break down, but Asuka didn't care. "You didn't, did you!? You didn't think once; give one thought to anyone but yourself; and now people are dead! People, are, **dead**, because you're a selfish little brat!"

The weight of Asuka's words battered and tore into Luna. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she seemed about ready to collapse. She begged, pleaded with Asuka. "S-stop it… I-I said… stop… Stop it **_now_**!"

* * *

**_Interrogation C: Gene_**

Gene stared at Asuka. In an indecipherable tone, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Everyone that died, it's all because of you," Asuka explained calmly.

"How can you possibly say that? I saved people!"

"You saved people, in Olivine City…"

Gene was silent, but Asuka could see. She saw as the implications of her words sunk into him, and she asked, "What about Pewter? Jubilife? …Lumiose? Did you save anyone there?"

Gene's shoulders sank. His eyes were hollow as his answer echoed through the room. "No."

"That's right. We didn't know. We didn't have any warning, any idea. We _couldn't_ do anything to stop it. But you did."

Gene sat silently. This new revelation was taking some time to fully sink in, and so Asuka continued in a dark tone. "It's clear that you knew beforehand that this was going to happen. Did you ever think to tell anyone? Warn someone? You just went in on your own, and how many died because of it?"

"I-… I didn't… No…" Gene took a breath, struggling to compose himself. "H-… Uh… H-how many?"

Asuka closed her eyes. It wasn't an easy thing for her to consider, but she had to get through this. She'd come this far… "Twenty seven Pokémon Centers were simultaneously attacked. We couldn't stop it." Gritting her teeth, Asuka's eyes shot open as anger overtook her. "Do you have any idea what that feels like!? To just watch as the death tolls come in and know you're completely powerless. It's supposed to be my job to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen and I couldn't do a dang thing!"

Shaking her head, Asuka added, "Oh, but it gets better… I'm serious. First the buildings would blow up, and then the Blighted would crawl outta 'em. Rescue workers died before they knew the danger, all for daring to try to help! How messed up is that!? But, no, that's not the better part. The better part is that it turns out not all the buildings blew up. Sometimes they didn't, and then the people inside 'em at least had a chance. Kinda like your case. I guess your friends are better n' you at being secretive, huh? Of course, it still doesn't do us any good, since we didn't know a dang thing!"

Grabbing the collar of Gene's shirt, Asuka shouted unreservedly. "Who are your friends, Gene!? Why did they know about this!? Why could they do something when I couldn't!? And why the heck if they knew didn't they say anything!? We could have done more than save a few lives… We could have stopped this! We could have saved everyone! What is wrong with you idiots!?"

Gene made no attempt to free himself from Asuka's grasp as he stammered his response. "N-no… I-it's not… I-it… can't be…"

* * *

**_Interrogation A: Luna_**

As Luna finally raised her voice against Asuka's verbal assault, a dull wave of force washed over the room. Asuka staggered back as it hit her. Papers fell from the table and the coffee pot in the corner rattled. The lights flickered for just a moment.

The whole experience was so entirely unexpected, that Asuka couldn't help but to calm herself just so she could try to come to terms with what had just happened. _What the… heck was that!?_ She was breathing heavily now, perhaps partly from the yelling, but mostly it was surely the overpowering pressure she had just felt. _That girl… Is she…?_

Asuka looked up. Luna was standing now. She still couldn't match her in height but the fragile and broken thing she was before was gone now. There was power, and confidence in her gaze. Luna spoke to her with clarity. "How, dare you…? How… **dare you!?**" She was nothing at all like she was a moment ago. Asuka had to stop herself from cringing back as Luna's words crashed into her. "**Who, are, you? Just who the ****_heck_**** do you think you are!? Is this how you treat people!? Really!? The blaming, and the yelling, and trying to force answers that just aren't there; I get it! Really, I do, but geez. How ****_dare_**** you!?**

"**You actually have the audacity to blame me!? ****_Me!?_**** Of all people; just all the people in the world; you don't know me! You don't know the first thing about me, so don't act like I don't care! I do care, but your solution to all of this will never work!**"

Tears streamed down Luna's face as she shouted, "**You think I don't care!? You think I'm just some stuck up rich girl!? Who are ****_you_****!? I ****_do_**** care! I care a lot! You think I'm alive, and free!? I'm living every single day in fear that I'll stop breathing! I spend every day worrying that I'm just going to be another one of those statistics that couldn't be saved, but at least I'm trying! Maybe it's for selfish reasons, and maybe I am just doing it for myself, but I'm going to find a way to survive! I'll stop this thing inside of me! Because… ****_my life is_****… it's important!**"

Taking long, deep breaths, Luna spoke with finality. "You're wrong about me… It's… It's not… It's not-"

* * *

**_Interrogation B: Batou_**

Batou's words finally broke through. He was calm now. Resolute, but he never yelled, nor raised his voice. He looked directly at Asuka with clear eyes as his words slowly broke free. "-my-"

* * *

**_Interrogation C: Gene_**

"…fault…" Gene hung limply in Asuka's grasp as he spoke. He broke down completely in tears as he said, "No… It is… I never… I thought I'd left, so why…? Why did I? …Why didn't I…?"

Asuka released her grip, and Gene fell back into his seat. She felt ashamed. She'd crossed lines that she knew she shouldn't have today, and she hated herself for them. _What am I doing…? This isn't what I wanted…_ Asuka took a breath as she collected her thoughts. _This isn't the person I want to be… I just…_ She turned, casting her gaze toward Gene. With a heavy heart, she made up her mind. _I've come this far… I'll see this through. Whatever punishment there is for my actions, I'll accept it._ "Gene," she said softly. "It's not too late. You can still make this right."

"No," Gene said with an empty tone. "I can't. It will never be right… It's too late…"

Asuka winced, but nodded. "Yeah. I guess so… But you can still do what you can now. You can do the best you can. …And so can I… Please. Please help me to stop this!"

Gene paused. But at length, he said. "I don't think I can help you now. But, I'll tell you… what I can… Maybe, it can change things I can't see…"

Asuka nodded, waiting for Gene to continue. He seemed really rattled by everything that had happened.

"I-I'm… I'm sorry, but I just, need some time. I can't now, can it wait…? I-I just need to think."

Asuka let out a sigh. Actually, she was relieved. "Yeah. We'll pick this up tomorrow." She made her way toward the door. As she drew it open, she added, "I'm, sorry."

* * *

Asuka sighed as she eased back into her new chair. Technically, neither the chair, nor the office she now resided in was truly hers. She'd requisitioned it for her personal use while she was staying in Olivine. Fortunately, the chair was quite comfortable, and the window had a very nice view of the setting sun.

She was completely exhausted and feeling more than a little guilty. Still, she wouldn't make excuses now. It would be better to focus her energy toward what was to come. Asuka considered the three youth's she'd spent the day interrogating.

Batou was only loosely related to these events. The fact is there was no real evidence to suggest his parents were linked to the terrorists. She'd only really pressured him so hard because she thought it would make herself feel better. …It didn't. It really didn't… She had no reason to hold him. He should be getting ready to leave the building right about now.

Then there's Luna… _What was that pressure I felt from her…? Was it like…?_ She couldn't tell. It was familiar, but different… She didn't know what it meant. Regardless, the girl was a valuable asset toward researching the Blight. Her father had made arrangements to pick her up. Asuka was sure that she'd probably be put through any tests the doctors wherever she was going thought would have the best chance of helping them figure out just what the Blight was. Now that it was a recognized terrorist bioweapon instead of a random fringe incident, finding a cure had kinda jumped up in priority amongst the medical and scientific communities.

Lastly, there was Gene. Out of all of them, he was clearly the most heavily involved. Whoever his contacts were, they knew about the terrorist attacks before they happened, and took it upon themselves to intervene. Tracking them down was the only lead Asuka had on the terrorists. She'd have to follow up on it.

Rubbing her forehead, Asuka growned. "What am I doing…? Ugh, is this your 'justice', Asuka? Harrassing kids? Turning people into assets to me measured and assessed? Nitpicking details when the guy probably deserves a freakin' medal? Tch… 'Justice'… What am I really looking for…? …I just don't know anymore… It thought I did, but I lost it…"

Asuka leaned back, staring blankly at the ceiling as she rotated her chair. "I've never done anything like this before. The truth is, I'm _supposed_ to be in charge, but I haven't got a clue… in any case… I just… How; how the heck are you supposed to be prepared for something… like this…?"

Asuka groaned as she covered her face. _It's almost too much to take. …But if I don't go after the bad guys, who will. That's what I wanted, right? I… 'fight crime, dangit'… right?_ "Uhn… Too tired…"

It could wait. For now, she could just stare up at the ceiling. She could watch the light and shadows dance upon it as the sun sets. _But shadows… Shadows don't dance… Wait… wha-?_ There was definitely something odd about the shadows. Asuka couldn't quite place it, but she knew something was definitely wrong. Her self-defense instincts kicked in and she dove forward, diving over the desk in front of her as a sickening ripping sound came from the back of her chair.

Somersaulting around, Asuka quickly found her footing. In an instant her pistol was drawn and pointed toward the window, but there was nothing there. Nothing, except the torn remains of the chair she had just been sitting in. A shadow seemed to reach out from the wall, piercing through the chair. _W-wha- the heck am I lookin' at!?_ As she watched the, the shadow receded from the chair, and in doing so the chair fell to the side. The shadow itself was a peculiar sight. It seemed to have solidified, and been given form. What should have been a harmless, mundane thing had somehow turned into a weapon! But where was the wielder?

As Asuka tried to wrap her head around that question, she sensed another attack, and weaved to the side. Another shadow reached out, this one piercing through her coat but missing her flesh. Another attack, and Asuka dodged again, but she felt the shadow graze her. _Odd… I-I? Felt a shadow? What the heck am I…?_ Her thought was interrupted as she had to dodge a flurry of additional attacks. They were honing in on her, and each one grazed her just a little more deeply than the last. The most recent she only avoided by jerking her body back completely, yet she still felt the sting along her neck as it grazed her. Any closer and her throat would have been slit.

Breathing heavily as adrenaline coursed through her, Asuka noticed a lapse in the attacks. She then had enough time to survey the room once again. This time, there was no denying what she saw. The shadows cast in the room had sprung to life, forming wicked blades. All around her, a hundred blades hovered in the air all around her, ready to strike and finish her at a moment's notice. "Done playing around, huh?" Asuka scoffed.

The blades, which had been weaving slightly in the air suddenly stopped. They were completely still, tense even, and Asuka realized exactly what it meant. Every single one of the blades were about to strike her. It would be impossible to dodge. She couldn't help but to smirk. "Right… Well, dang… This… This is gonna suck…"


	7. Awakening

Chapter 7:

Awakening

Asuka knew she didn't have much time. She had to act now or she'd never get another chance! _If it's really shadows, then…_ Unfortunately, only one solution presented itself to her mind, and it wasn't a pleasant one. Reaching into her coat, she withdrew a palm sized, cylindrical object. With a flick of her thumb, she'd pulled the pin, and tossed the grenade away. _Don't take too long; now!_ She covered her ears as best she could with her revolver still in hand as she squeezed her eyes shut. "…This is gonna suck…"

Not a moment too soon, the flashbang grenade she'd dropped set off. A deafening bang filled the room, and even with her eyes closed she could see the flash. "Ghaaagh!" She cried out, falling to the ground. In spite of her efforts to dull the effect, the grenade did its job all too well. Asuka's eyes shot open and in spite of her blurred vision she could tell that the shadows had been dispelled, but there was no telling how long that would last.

Struggling to keep her balance long enough to make her escape, Asuka staggered to the door. Fumbling with the knob for a moment, she threw it open. Stepping through, she practically collapsed into the hallway on the other side, slamming the door behind her as she went.

Breathing heavily, Asuka struggled to regain her senses. "Ghgh… Aaagh… Dangit, that hurts…" Swallowing back her forced breath, she tried to assess the situation. _What was that? Shadows are trying to kill me!? What the heck is going on here!?_

* * *

"Growlithe!"

"Aro!"

Growlithe leapt into Batou's arms as the boy held him tightly. "Aw, I've missed you buddy!"

"He's a very well natured Pokémon," the bright eyed young officer escorting Batou commented. "We haven't had any trouble with him, unlike that Mawile your friend has…"

"Huh? Mawile?"

The officer nodded. "She put up quite a fight. …I don't think she's very well trained. We actually had to reinforce the lock on her pokéball."

Batou frowned a little, glancing around the room they were in. Rows of pokéballs sat on small shelves, inside of special locking mechanism that apparently reinforced the pokéball's mechanics. "Wow, really? That's a bit harsh."

The young officer folded his arms sympathetically. "It's not that I disagree, but this is a police station. We can't just have the Pokémon of suspected criminals running around freely."

"I guess… I still feel bad for them though."

"Taking away freedom is never something to be done lightly. But, sometimes it's necessary to reach the truth, and to protect the safety of others. Don't worry though! We're the good guys here! That means we'll always strive toward fairness and justice!" the officer stated passionately. His eyes actually sparkled at the chance to expound the virtues of his profession.

"Whoa! So cool!" If his reaction was any indication, Batou was impressed.

"Yes!" the officer stated confidently, bristling with pride.

"Hm… Hey, but wait. At the end of the day, you did lock up me and my friends, and all of our Pokémon, and we're all basically innocent right? So, was that fair and just?" Batou asked earnestly.

"W-well, no… but, uh… Urk!" the officer's face contorted in horror as he realized for the first time that he'd been a party to some form of injustice. "W-well, all we can really do is seek out justice to the best of our ability. We're only human though, so mistakes do happen. …Right?" he explained, tentatively pressing his forefingers together uncertainly.

Batou considered this for a moment. "Yeah. So, I guess 'justice' is just… trying your best?"

"Aaaaaaahhh…." The officer seemed to be having a hard time deciding whether this was true or not. He didn't get the chance to conclude his thought however, as a loud bang echoing though out the hall caught both of their attentions.

"What was that?" Batou asked, his voice shaking a little bit. If the previous day had taught him anything, it's that loud bangs usually aren't good signs.

"I recognize that sound…" the officer said. "It's a stun grenade! A weapon which contains the brilliant light of justice to fell evil!" he paused smirking slightly. "…Or, something like that…"

Batou glanced at Growlithe. Growlithe didn't return his gaze, instead casting his own down the hallway, a hard look in his eyes. "Something's wrong."

"I agree. I'm afraid our conversation is over," the officer said, urging Batou out of the room as he locked the door behind him. "Please, escort yourself the rest of the way out. I must investigate the source of this disturbance."

Batou turned down the hallway in the direction the officer was urging him to go, but he made no attempt to go on his way. He wasn't happy with how things had turned out at the Pokémon Center. It felt like he didn't do enough to help when he could… He didn't want to run from a situation where he could help again. But other than that, there was another reason why he couldn't just leave. "U-uh… Officer…"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose you don't know the way. Just follow the…" the officer said, turning to face Batou, but when he did, he saw the same sight which had given Batou pause. "…Actually, get behind me."

Batou didn't move. He only watched as a man in a dark longcoat calmly walked toward them, a wicked pair of blades at his side. The man didn't seem especially tall. He was taller than Batou, but matched the young officer in height, his black hair and coat playing a contrast to the officers blonde hair and blue uniform as the officer took it upon himself to get between Batou and this new intruder. "Hold there," he called. "I'm afraid this area is restricted. I must ask you to leave. Now."

The man in black stopped long enough to scrutinize Batou and the young officer. "You're not the one I'm looking for. Neither is the kid," he stated in a cold tone. "If you want to live, get out of my way."

"You sir, threaten an officer of the law!" the officer declared. He quickly drew a pokéball from his belt, throwing it out before him. "Let's go, Seeker!" From its light emerged a Growlithe, fully grown and at least twice the size of Batou's. Batou glanced at Growlithe in his arms briefly. He couldn't help but giggle at Growlithe's expression. He apparently didn't like the obvious comparison.

The man in black's lip curled upward at the sight of the Pokémon. "This is what you want?"

"What I want," the officer declared with a heroic smile, "is justice! My name is Justin Lawe, and in the name of the law…" he said with a dramatic flourish, pointing his finger at his opponent, "…I will bring you to justice!"

Batou stared in wide eyed awe. Suddenly, his quirky little escort officer seemed rather heroic indeed.

The man in black let out a huff. "Fine…" He reached to his side, drawing forth his katana. "My name is Ryu. What I do is in the name of my own 'justice'." He held his blade outward with one hand as he slowly leveled it, pointing the tip directly at Seeker. "Just remember… You chose this."

Justin scoffed. "So that's it… The age of bloodshed has long since passed. You should abandon your weapons as the relics they are of a darker era!"

"Funny," Ryu answered, a cold glare in his eyes. "I've seen far more blood shed by fang and by claw than by blade. So maybe, you're just a naïve fool."

"Heh." Justin smiled. "That I am. But you know what?" he asked, the smile on his face only growing wider. "The truth is I really believe the words I say! There's more power in my naïve hope than there will ever be in your cynicism!"

"I see…" Ryu drew back his blade, gripping it with both hands as he assumed a fighting stance. "Show me."

* * *

It didn't matter how comfortable the room was. A prison was still a prison. Luna sat quietly on a surprisingly comfortable couch, in a nice, pleasant room. She was alone. She knew she was completely alone, but that didn't give her any comfort.

A dark sadness had fallen over Luna. _Soon, I'll be back in Sinnoh. Father will be mad, but he won't show it. He'll insist that I'm watched by doctors day and night for my own good. He'll do everything he can to save me, and it doesn't matter how much it costs…_ She let out a sigh. _It's not that I'm not grateful. I am, it's just… I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a science experiment. Is that so wrong?_

_…__They can't help me there. I know that. They must know it too, but it's their jobs to try. And if it's not, dad will just pay them enough so it is… That's just…_ Luna fell to the side, resting her head against the arm of the couch. _I'm not spoiled, am I? I mean, yeah, I never went wanting. I got anything I asked for as a kid; b-but I never asked for that much! …People, always went out of their way for me, and I never even noticed._

Luna made a fist, punching into the couch. Slowly she brought herself back up to a sitting position. "Is that why it bothers me so much…? Or is it…?" Her mind shot back to what Tavor had told her. "…It's true… I have to do this myself. No one else can." Resolve had welled up within her. Now that she had it, there was no way she was letting it go!

Jumping to her feet, Luna made her way to the door. She knew it was locked, but she tried it anyway. When it didn't work, she banged against it, shouting, "Hey! Let me out of here! I'm not staying! I refuse to stay!"

There was no answer from the other side. Luna knew shouting was pointless, so she focused her energy toward something else. _I'm not staying here… I'm not. I'm not a criminal; they know that, and now…_ "Now, I'm **_leaving_**!" She felt energy surging through her. It was becoming a familiar feeling. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but somehow, whenever she made up her mind to do something she just felt stronger. She felt like she could do anything. And now, that meant she felt like she was going to open that door!

Luna threw her shoulder into the door. Somewhere deep inside, she knew it should hurt, and that it should just fail miserably. It's not easy to break down a door… Yet in spite of that; in spite of all reason to the contrary, the door strained and groaned against her attack… and then gave way.

…It still hurt though. Crying out at the stinging pain in her shoulder, Luna staggered into the hallway. "Scha-ah…! That hurt! A-ahgh…" Nursing her aching shoulder with a groan, she glanced down the hallway. She'd expected a guard, but the horror of what she actually saw made her forget to breathe. Silence hung eerily in the hallway as Luna saw two forms, one that of her human guard and the other of a faithful Stoutland, each slumped against the wall, streaks of blood pooling outward where they lay.

The walls were chipped and fragmented. This wasn't her doing; a terrible battle had occurred here, and the guards placed to keep her inside… were the ones who lost. Luna's heart stopped as a bang echoed through the hallway from behind her. It was not a sound she'd ever heard before, but the report was unmistakable. It was the sound of a gunshot.

* * *

"Ah. There you are."

Asuka jolted. Swinging her revolver outward with both hands she leveled its barrel at the voice which had just spoken. Before her stood a tall man with silver hair. He smiled, but it was a sinister smile. Asuka knew better to trust his intentions, even if she hadn't just been attacked. "Who're you?" she asked, performing admirably at steadying her breath.

"Oh, no one so interesting as you, I'm sure. Miss Asuka Kiske: Inept Interpol Agent."

"You should take that act on the road. I've got a few destinations I could recommend…"

"Ooh! Is that a threat?"

"I don't make threats."

"So a promise then? Shall we travel together down the road of depravity!?"

"…What?" Asuka grimaced. _Looks like I lost that one… I have, nothing to say to that._

The man smirked. He began to giggle unevenly, covering his face in his hands. "Oooh, yeah!" he shouted, throwing his hand to the side. The look in his eyes as he stared down Asuka's glare could only be described as 'pure evil'. "I can _tell_! This is going to be a _fun_ game!"

Asuka stared down the man. The situation was tense, and she knew it was inevitably going to explode into violence. The gun in her hands felt so natural; it would be easy to put this lunatic on the ground. _One reason…_

"I'm glad Shikyo didn't get to you first!" the man shouted. "Now I'm going to enjoy this fight! Today, you face the elite of Team Aura, and I, Quinn Zandred shall be your partner!" In a calmer tone he added. "Oops. I guess I shouldn't have told you all that… Oh well! You know what they say about dead birds!"

"That's all I needed to hear." Asuka had a name, for both the man and his organization. She'd sort out the rest when the dust settled. In one steady motion she eased back the trigger. As the heavy recoil rattled her arm, Quinn staggered back as the weight of the bullet struck him near the shoulder. He slumped over, but he didn't fall. He stood eerily, his head and arms hanging limply even as his feet stood firm.

An eerie laughter escaped the man as Asuka stared at him in disbelief. _It can't be…_ As Quinn's laughter eased, he took a breath, and said, "…That won't work. We're not playing that game. It's against the rules to shoot me." Raising his head, he sneered madly. "Foul."

* * *

"Wait, hold on," Batou said, stepping up alongside Justin. As he spoke, Growlithe hopped down to join up beside Seeker. "We can't let you fight alone."

"That's kind of you," Justin began in a reluctant tone, "but I can't condone a civilian putting himself in danger on my account. I must ask you to please stay on the sidelines."

Batou grinned. "Yeah, okay. But, as a civilian, I don't really have to do what you say either, right?"

"Wh-what…? B-but… I, er…" Justin stammered, quickly growing flustered. "That's… Th-that's not right! No!"

"Haha! I got ya! It totally don't have to listen to you at all, right!?"

Ryu sighed. "Ugh. This is real cute and all, but I'm not going to just sit here and let you guys strategize… I can hear you anyway; it's not like this meeting of minds is going anywhere profound. So, I'll say this one, last, time… Get out of my way, or I will go through you."

"See, this is what I'm talking about!" Batou said pointing at Ryu. Ryu raised an eyebrow as Batou explained, "This guy has a sword. You don't have a defense for that. Seeker will get torn apart."

"I'm not going to just let him by," Justin insisted. "We have to at least try to stop him. And your Growlithe isn't any better suited than mine."

"No, but I am," Batou said, stepping forward. From a yellow ball, Batou called forth his Scyther Edge sword. Gripping it with both hands, he leveled it in a fighting stance. "Defense is **_my_** specialty!"

"Oh, right," Justin said apologetically. "I forgot you had that. I hope you weren't offended earlier when I- hey, wait; that's even **_more_** dangerous! And why the heck did we give that back to you anyway!? Nevermind; I cannot allow you to fight!"

"It's out of our hands now!" Batou exclaimed. "This is happening, so we're going to have to work together. Just trust me on this!"

Ryu smirked. "Huh. So you'll counter my blade with your own. Not a bad strategy, but… I think you'll find that there's no defense… for **_me_**." Then letting out a sigh, he added. "I've let this continue long enough. If you idiots really intend to fight me, I can't be held accountable for what'll happen. I hope you're ready"

"Ghgh…" Justin grit his teeth. "Fine. Be careful Batou."

"I know. Let's do this Growlithe!"

"Growli-!" came Growlithe's affirmative response.

Ryu broke forward, and as he did Batou rushed to intercept, Growlithe following closely by his side.

"Seeker, get around him!" Justin commanded.

"Growli!"

Ryu lashed out with his blade. He was wickedly fast, but Batou was able to parry. _He's quick. He's not going to leave me much time for anything __**but**__ defense._ In a blur, Ryu had spun around, and slashed at Growlithe. Once again, Batou intervened, blocking Ryu's blade with his own. _He's changing targets too. This guy's used to fighting multiple opponents…_ As the thought flashed across his mind, Ryu kicked low, sweeping out Batou's legs and causing him to tumble to the ground with a squeal. "Gygh!"

As Batou fell, Growlithe leapt in, lunging for Ryu's head, but the swordsman was too fast, and Growlithe flew harmlessly by. At the same time, Seeker rounded about, behind him, ready to strike. "Good! Take Down!" came Justin's command.

Seeker lunged forward, leaping at Ryu. Suddenly Justin amended his command. "W-wait, look out!" With a jerk, Seeker pulled himself back. Ryu had reached down with his left hand and quick drawn his spare sword. The tip of the blade grazed Seeker's flesh, sending a flick of blood against the wall. Seeker landed heavily on his feet, hopping back with a growl as he gained some ground. In the same instant, Ryu's spare sword was once again sheathed.

_Sheesh. Draw out attacks too!? This guy's just… way better than me… _At the same time, Batou rolled back, getting onto a knee as he swung out his sword, preparing for his next move. "Over here!" he shouted. Swinging his sword forward, Batou watched as Ryu moved to parry, but the attack was a feint. Instead of striking, Batou let his sword fall before him defensively. As he was doing this, Growlithe had leapt into the air. He spat a ball of explosive flame from his 'Flame Burst' attack. Still reacting quickly, Ryu weaved just barely out of the way. The Flame Burst hit the ground, exploding between Ryu and Batou. The embers it created singed at Ryu's legs, and reflected off of Batou's sword, spraying heat at Ryu's face.

"Gyagh!" Ryu cried out, leaping away toward the wall. He didn't seem to be injured, but it was always meant to be an attack at his vision. Batou knew from experience how uncomfortable Ryu must be feeling now…

"Seeker! Flamethrower!" Justin commanded.

Pulling back his head, Seeker roared, loosing a stream of fire at Ryu.

Gritting his teeth, Ryu turned, bounding up the wall, evading the attack entirely. Kicking off he agilely flipped through the air over Batou's head. _…Ugh. At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore!_ When he landed he was immediately on the offensive. He slashed at Batou, and when the blow was parried, he struck again with a quick draw attack. Batou was able to guard the second attack as well, but he was unbalanced, sent sliding along the slick floor by the furious weight of the attack.

Immediately, Ryu had turned, rushing for Justin this time. "No! Don't!" Batou cried. Justin glared at Ryu defiantly as he approached, Growlithe and Seeker both chasing after Ryu unbidden. Ryu's blade came down with an overhead swing as he reached Justin, but Justin dodged to the side. Quickly turning his blade, Ryu slashed horizontally, sending a streak and clang of metal across the wall as Justin ducked under the attack.

Justin punched, but his attack was caught by Ryu's left hand. Ryu swung his sword, but he was too close now, as Justin grabbed his arm, tackling him to the ground. Raising a leg, Ryu kicked Justin off of him with surprising force, sending him flying into the door of the Pokémon storage room with a heavy thud.

Justin collapsed to the floor with a cry of pain. As Ryu rose to his feet, a loud bang echoed down the hall. The report of the gunshot stirred Justin enough for him to forget about his pain for a moment. "Agh. Miss Asuka. This is bad."

Ryu scoffed humorlessly. "Hmph… A gun won't stop him. It's useless." Just then, Growlithe and Seeker reached Ryu, Batou trailing not far behind. In a blur of blinding speed, Seeker reached him first, lunging through the air, but Ryu took one swift swing with his sword. Seeker had learned from his last mistake, feinting out of the way, landing beside Justin with a defensive growl.

In Seeker's wake followed Growlithe, sparks of electricity erupting from his fur. In a blur of energy, Growlithe streaked by Ryu, grazing him in the shoulder. Ryu cried out as a surge of electricity jolted through his body. "Whoa, that was cool Growlithe!" Batou called. "When'd you learn to do that!?" Batou swung his sword, but the attack was blocked, locking with Ryu's blade.

Growlithe grinned in satisfaction, while Ryu glared, locking eyes with Batou. "You, could never beat me alone!"

"Yeah," Batou agreed, "but I'm not alone. We're stronger together!"

"You're pathetic!" Ryu screamed angrily, smashing his head against Batou's, and then swinging his sword out and sending Batou skidding back. A new pair of gunshots echoed through the hall, but Ryu made no response to them. With a growl, he shouted, "I've had it with these games!" as he drew out his second blade. "Now! You can all, **_just die_**!"

With an uncharacteristically wide swing of both blades, Ryu began his attack, but did not close the distance on any of his targets, who at this moment, happened to be Justin and Seeker. Sensing the danger, the two scattered out of the way. As Ryu's blades swung through the air, a blade of air sliced forward, cleaving a gash in the door and nearby wall where the two of them had just stood!

_Wh-what!? B-but I…! That's not even, possible!_ Batou's mind raced to come to terms with what he'd just seen. _Wait, is it? No, it couldn't be… Unless…? …This guy. He's… I-I'm not even __**capable**__ of reaching his level._ There was only one explanation Batou could think of for Ryu's newly revealed power. He didn't like it, but it could be nothing else.

_Somehow… Ryu's manipulating that Aura power… He's using it to extend his swords with the air itself!_ Ryu laughed, turning to face Batou. In spite of himself, Batou paled a bit beneath his gaze. "So tell me boy! You think you can defend against my blade, but I ask you! Can you ever hope to defend against the air you breathe!?"

"U-uh…!" Batou stammered, "W-well I…"

"You can't!" Ryu shouted, his scream punctuated by a bang from behind the door of the Pokémon storage room. "So just," another bang, this one even louder, "die!" A third bang. "Ghgh!?" This one Ryu could not ignore, as the door flew from its hinges, directly at him. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Ryu slashed with his blades, cleaving the door in two as its pieces crashed heavily against the wall.

"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaa-" A battle cry echoed through the hall as a small form burst forth from the storage room.

"I-is that!?" Batou shouted with a start.

"Oh no," Justin muttered, a look of mild horror on his face.

"…!?" Ryu didn't have time to say anything…

"-wile e **_maaiimaaaa_**!" Suddenly, Mawile had burst forth from the storage room where she'd been held prisoner. She swung her horn, slamming into Ryu from the side with incredible force. Batou barely had time to squeeze up along the wall as Ryu flew past him, skidding, bouncing, and bashing against the floor and off the walls before finally sliding to a stop.

Batou gawked at Ryu as he lay motionless on the floor. "U-uh…? I-is…?" _Uhm, is he dead…?_

Justin winced as Mawile turned her attention to him with a frightening glare. "U-uh… H-hi there…"

Mawile simply scoffed, turning away from him with a huff.

"U-uh? I-I'm… beneath you, huh?"

Mawile nodded haughtily.

Growlithe and Seeker each looked to Mawile with equal parts horror and admiration. Batou turned his attention to her as well. _S-so… I guess, the real hero… has arrived._

As if sensing his thoughts, Mawile beamed with a sort of 'smug satisfaction'. A broad grin spread across her face. "Maa-ee."

_…__Why do I feel like I've just been insulted…?_

* * *

Everything hurt. With a groan, Ryu stirred. Struggling with both hands, he forced himself off the floor. His knuckles hurt, gripping tightly to his swords. He didn't know how he'd had the presence of mind to hold onto them, but he had. "Gha-…ghaaaagh…." With more effort than he'd care to admit, Ryu forced himself to stand. He teetered unsteadily for a moment before staggering to the side and leaning against the wall. _Ack… My chest is killing me. That little monster… If it'd hit me any harder, I'd be dead._

Breathing heavily, Ryu faced down the hall. Slowly it dawned on him just how far he'd been knocked away. He was standing further from his opponents now than before the fight began. _That far? Dang… I really could have died! _"A-agh…" He winced in pain. _It must have fractured my ribs… But how badly? It couldn't be that bad if I can still stand._

No matter how he tried to reason it, his condition wasn't good. The smart thing to do would be to cut his losses and get out. However, he couldn't accept that. _After all of this; I've come so close, and now I need to flee? No... It can't..._ He cast his gaze toward his opponents. With a start, Ryu realized their number had grown yet again. A small Piplup had joined the group, presumably following in the vicious Mawile's wake. The boy, the officer had referred to him as Batou earlier, was the first to notice it. "Hey, I remember you! Out and about too, huh?" he chirped in a disgustingly friendly tone.

_Tch. Idiot. Don't talk to them like they're people._ Ryu grit his teeth, holding back his tongue. Now wasn't the time. The Piplup chirped back at Batou. It seemed to be in good spirits, but Ryu made no attempt to follow it's gibberish. It was all just noise anyway.

"Haha!" Batou laughed. "It musta sucked, huh? Being stuck in there all this time." Piplup angrily shouted its response, clearly agitated. "Heheh! Sorry. I'm just glad you're free now!" _Wh-what a __**moron**__! He's actually having a conversation with it!?_

"Hey now," Justin remarked. "It almost feels like you're making the police out to be the bad guys... Stop..." he pleaded, almost whining. _Ugh. I can't believe I'm being held off by these idiots!_

Batou laughed. Even Piplup seemed to find the officers whining amusing. But then Batou seemed to notice yet another figure from the storage room. "H-huh!? Hey, how did you get here?"

"That's... a really good question..." Justin remarked in a suspicious tone.

As he was addressed the figure emerged from the room into the hallway. He was an unassuming looking fellow, with bright purple hair, and a pair of glasses across his face. The man said nothing, tilting his head slightly with a smile.

"Eh? Gene?" Batou asked.

Gene's smile faded a bit, but he seemed to dismiss the question, instead turning toward Ryu. Ryu's stomach curled as the man's eyes fell upon him. They held such an imposing glare that Ryu could only describe the man's gaze as 'lethal'.

_This must be the Mawile's trainer. ...He's not going to hold back. If I'm not careful about my next move, I won't be walking away from this at all. _"Eh?" Batou shrunk back a little, a confused look on his face. "Uh, Gene? You're, being a little bit scary, ya know?"

"Quiet," Justin urged gingerly. "He's got the right idea. We've more important matters to deal with."

Batou frowned a little, but turned his blade toward Ryu with renewed determination. "Kay. I'm ready! Let's finish what this guy started!"

Growlithe, Seeker, and Piplup all set up in front of Batou, ready to join the fight as well. Then there was the Mawile. Ever since he'd stirred, Ryu had felt its gaze locked onto him. It wouldn't hesitate to move if it needed to. Whatever he did next, Ryu knew he would have to account for it.

_So, four monsters, the boy, and a worthless trainer. Plus this 'Gene'... I can't be certain of his capabilities yet. Agh. I'm all for challenging odds but this is getting ridiculous!_ In spite of his mounting concern, Ryu's demeanor remained even. "Heh. Did you all... forget where we left off?" _Just one. If I can finish just one of them, I can come out ahead._ Ryu smirked. Ignoring the pain it caused him, he stood freely in the center of the hallway, clashing his swords together. "Let me remind you. ...You cannot defend against the wind!"

The Mawile was the first to move. _As expected._ As it dashed forward, Ryu swung his blade at it, sending a blade of air flying toward the monster. Slamming its horn into the ground, Mawile propelled itself into the air, evading the air slash entirely. In spite of his own concern, Ryu actually hadn't planned on that, and could only glare. Fortunately, he had anticipated that the rest of the group would attempt to move in at him in Mawile's wake. Clashing both of his blades together, Ryu focused his energy. _Aura..._ "Hurricane!" Ryu swung with both blades, and from them shot forth a torrent of slicing air, crushing winds, and deafening noise!

"Wh-whoa!?" Batou cried with a start.

"Get down!" Justin commanded, diving to the ground himself.

"Ghgh." Batou slammed his sword down in front of him, apparently trying to use the width of the blade in a futile attempt to guard against the winds. His Growlithe instinctively hunkered down behind him, while the Mawile leapt in front of Seeker and Piplup, using its horn to shield them from the blast. The only one who didn't take any clear action against the assault was Gene. In fact, he looked... excited?

The Hurricane slammed into the group. Batou and Mawile served as admirable windbreaks, holding steadfast against the assault, but it wasn't enough. The cutting blades of air curved around their defenses, cutting into their skin and mixing streaks of red with the wind. The wounds were light, each insignificant on their own, but a thousand cuts still bleed. The damage was mounting, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Justin fared worse. Unprotect from the winds, all he could do was hug the floor as closely as possible. The winds cut and battered him, and almost immediately he was lifted off of the floor with a cry. Suddenly Seeker struck out from its own cover, tackling Justin to the ground, pinning him there as the wind cut and tore at its flesh. "S-Seeker; no!"

"Gr-... Grrrrgh..."

Worst however was Gene, who had taken no cover at all. However, Ryu was the one Gene's condition was truly terrible for. He should have been torn apart, But that didn't happen. In fact, it looked as though... _H-he's... dodging the __**wind**__!?_ Indeed, as the wind struck him, Gene became a blur, weaving and swaying as though her were a phantasm. He didn't seem real, but Ryu could see him. What other explanation was there? _B-but... no! That's __**impossible**__!_

Perhaps Gene could read Ryu's thoughts, because Ryu was sure he saw a smirk. The phantasm cleared, and in Gene's hand Ryu could see a sphere of dark energy swirling. _Wha-? But that's-!_ He hardly had time to react. In an instant, the sphere was streaking through the air toward him. It was undeterred by the wind. It didn't slow at all.

Crossing his swords before him, Ryu took the blast head on. The ball exploded, sending him flying through the air, though it seemed that his blades had somehow absorbed most of the damage. Flipping head first through the air, Ryu jerked his body so as to lond on his feet instead. The moment he did, with horror he realized that Gene was already on him. But he wasn't the same anymore. There was a bestial air about him. His eyes gleamed with malice; his grin twisted like fangs as more of the same shadowy dark energy coalesced around his arms, forming massive claws.

With an inhuman cry, Gene swiped with his claws. Ryu jerked back, narrowly avoiding them, but still Gene hounded him. Every move Ryu made was followed and tracked. Now he was on the defensive. There was no gap to exploit, no chance for reprisal. It was all he could do to keep his head, literally, as it often happened to be. Finally one of Gene's attacks landed; Ryu was surprised by a quick rush from Gene's shoulder, slamming him to the wall, but it wasn't that Ryu hadn't seen the attack coming. Rather, it seemed as though it struck him before it should have.

Finding himself pinned to the wall by Gene's shoulder, both of Ryu's blades clashed with Gene's claws. He suddenly seemed much larger than he had a moment ago. He was strong, as well. Gene's claws pressed against Ryu's blades, and in spite of putting his full strength into it, Ryu realized it was a battle he was losing.

If that wasn't enough, the tickle of Gene's fur only aggravated the situation, adding insult to Ryu's plight. _W-wait... What!?_ Ryu began to understand. He began to realize what it was that he truly faced, and it was not a man. It was nothing of the sort. As the illusion faded, and Ryu could for the first time clearly see the creature's fur, swirling colors of black and red; Gene's face contorted, replaced with a bestial snout; alien digitigrade legs forcing him against the wall; as all was made clear a name crept into Ryu's brain. He knew the name of this creature, but he'd never believed how horrifying it's power could be. What a truly terrible thing it was; it could be no man, even a monster was too kind a word for one such as this. What stood before him now; threatened to choke the very light from his soul, was worse. It was unmistakable. What he now faced was a demon. And he knew the name. "Z-... Z-zoro-...arc..."

The demon grinned. It knew its name as well.

A primal fear overtook Ryu. If this didn't end now, he was going to die. There was no escaping that. He was going to die, by this, thing... "...N-no..." All of the memories... "...no..." All of the hate. "N-no... no...!" All of the fear. "...Ngh-hagh-nagh..." It all came back to him. "Noooooo**_oooooooooo!_**"

Ryu's power burst furth, a sphere of slicing wind erupted around him. Zoroarc grimaced in pain as the wind cut through it, forcing it away from Ryu. With a mad ferocity, Ryu slashed with his swords, cleaving twin gashes across Zoroarc's chest as it cried out. Ryu raised his blades above his head. This was it. Fight or flight. It was a natural thing. Perhaps the most natural thing in the world. It wasn't normally, but at a time like this, it was easy. In this situation, killing was the most natural thing in the world. His hatred, anguish, and fear all resounded through his voice as Ryu shouted, "**_Diiiiie!_**"

As he brought his blades down, Ryu felt an odd sensation. He felt his attack stop; struck against something hard and solid. Before him now was not a demon, but a boy. Batou was his name. A thousand cuts bled across his body, but his tears bled the loudest. Tears streamed down his face as he grit his teeth. It wasn't the pain which reflected in his eyes. It was something else, but something which Ryu couldn't place. In an even tone, Batou asked him a question. There wasn't a hint of hatred in his voice as he asked, "What gives you the right?"

Ryu felt himself pulled away. It was like everything was in a dream, or a nightmare he just couldn't wake up from. He fell backwards as a weight struck his legs with a sickening crack. He saw Mawile, recoiling from its attack, as his head struck the ground. He cried out in pain, but he couldn't hear his own voice. Mawile slammed its horn forward once again, but it wasn't a deathblow. The full weight of its attack fell upon the blade in Ryu's right hand, and it snapped in two.

Reacting on instinct, Ryu rolled backwards, discarding the broken blade as he rose to his feet. He could hardly tell what was going on anymore. His vision was a blur, but he saw a small orange form burst forth, crackling with electricity. Without thinking he blocked with his remaining sword, and Growlithe's jaws snapped shut on the blade. Twisting with its entire body Growlithe twisted the blade and Ryu's wrist along with it before kicking off of Ryu's chest. The electrical discharge surged through him, and Ryu couldn't control himself as he lost hold of the blade.

Now there was nothing left. He was disarmed, disoriented; he hardly understood what had just happened. Ryu truly had nothing left. Dull droan played against his ears, growing louder by the moment. A flash of blue illuminated his dimming vision, and Ryu saw the Piplup. With all that had happened, he had completely forgotten about it. "Piiiiiiiiii-"

_I-I didn't even see it._ Piplup loomed in the air over him, both arms raised above its heads. From between its arms rose a surprisingly large blade, forged of a swirling blue energy. A dim part of Ryu's mind realized what was about to happen. _N-no... N-not like... not like this!_ Tears of terror streamed down Ryu's face. As Piplup's blade fell towar his face, Ryu could think of nothing but to scream with the most heartfelt and anguished terror he'd ever felt in his life.

...And in an instant of white hot pain, the light had faded.

* * *

Asuka smiled wryly. "What? You the ref or a player?"

"Both, really," Quinn answered, his tone surprisingly calm for someone who'd technically just been shot.

"Huh. I'd call that a conflict of interests."

"Not in this game. I make the rules, and that means I get to enforce them, but it's just no fun sitting on the sidelines. So I made sure the game was one I could fully enjoy in all areas!"

"I don't like this game," Asuka remarked flatly.

"That's against the rules!" Quinn responded. He actually seemed offended by Asuka's remark. "Now I hope you're ready to accept your punishment…"

"Hold that thought…" Asuka leveled her weapon toward Quinn's knee and squeezed the trigger. The shock of the blast kicked Quinn's entire leg out from under him, but there was no sign of blood. _There…_ As Quinn's balance teetered, Asuka stepped forward, leveling her gun to his forehead at less than a yard. Again she pulled the trigger, and Quinn's head flew backward, straining his neck as his entire body flew off the ground. He fell on his back with a grunt. _There again… Interesting._

Quinn grit his teeth. "Ow, ow, owww!" Rolling casually to his side, he stood, rubbing his neck. "Gah. That actually hurt. You're gonna break my neck if you keep that up."

"And that's… bad?" Asuka asked dryly.

"Oh, very bad. Your punishment's going to be _far_ worse now."

"Didn't you just get done threatening to crush my skull into a fine powder, or something?"

Quinn giggled. "What fun is a game without a few theatrics?"

"Meaning… you're _not_ going to do that?"

"What? Oh, no. No, of course not. Wait, I mean, yes, of course I'm going to, but no, not right away. I'd like this game to last. _That_, is a move with a fair bit of finality to it."

"Huh. Mind if I try it then?"

"Y-you, want to crush your own skull?" Quinn asked in a genuinely confused tone.

"Sure. _That's_ what I meant by that. Right…"

"Ah. Oh, I get it. Heheh. You're _fun_!"

"…" Asuka said nothing. Her expression remained immutable.

"Aw… Don't be quiet now. I enjoy your wit."

"As long as my words can be for _your_ benefit, my life is fulfilled."

Quinn canted his head to the side. "You're so… at ease with this situation."

"What, like I'm supposed to be scared of you?"

"You should be. Yes. Don't you understand? There is nothing you can do to me. You can't stop me. You can't win. I may as well be immortal, compared to your power. Do you understand what that means; you're going to die! You hear me, you, are going to die!" Quinn explained, growing more and more manic as he went.

"I'm not dead. You want me to make it easy for you?"

"No; no, I don't. That wouldn't be fun at all!"

"Not a very good sport, are you? No wonder no one wants to play with you."

"Wh-? H-how did-?"

"You're the type of person who has to do everything his way. I bet when you were a kid, the other kids all tried to include you in their games and you ruined it. You're just the kind of jerk who pushes everyone away and now, you've got nothing to show for it. You turned into some insane lunatic with too much power and no idea what to do with it all, so you lash out all the people around you because you're too afraid to ask anyone for a hug. Which doesn't matter because there's no on who'd want to give you one at this point anyway."

Quinn stood, staring wide eyed at Asuka. "I-I…" His expression dimmed. It became a terrifying shade of calm, madness brewing just beneath the surface. "I don't like you anymore. Die."

In a blur of motion, Quinn rushed forward. In a split second he was standing right in front of Asuka, his arm coiled back, ready to attack. Asuka had been waiting for this, but she was still surprised by Quinn's speed. Clearly, his defense wasn't the only of his abilities that was unnatural. Regardless, Quinn soon found him staring point blank down the barrel of Asuka's revolver. She pulled the trigger.

With a loud bang, Quinn was sent flying through the air, once again landing on his back with a heavy thud. "Aagh! Again!? How many bullets does that thing have!? Eh?"

Asuka snapped the cylinder of her revolver shut. "When you hit the ground it was one. Now it's five."

"Gyaaah!? Hey, that's cheating!"

Asuka smirked. _That was close. My quick-load cylinder is in my coat, and I had to leave that in the office… I'm just lucky this bulb isn't too bright. Even if I can find another chance to reload, I'll run out of bullets before this guy's invulnerability wears off. Hmm, actually…_ "Hey. I noticed too ya know. You're not playing by the rules either."

"Lies! I never cheat!"

"So where's my force field then?"

"You don't get one; because that's not your ability! It's mine!"

Asuka smiled. "I see. So you're not invulnerable. I was right. It's just a shield you're projecting."

"Gyurk!?"

"Heh. Not too clever, are you? Now I know your secret."

"Bu-… but you… you already…?"

Asuka shook her head. "It was a guess. Now that you told me though, I know how to deal with it." _Except, that's a lie. I could see it, just barely when my bullets hit it. He's been conforming it just around his body. That's why he'd still recoil when I shot him. I knew exactly what I was dealing with. And now, so does he…_

"Y-you… F-fine! Fine! I'm done playing around! Now you die!" Asuka felt Quinn surge with power. Visible energy coalesced around him as his shield expanded. "No more getting knocked around! This time, when I come at you, you can hit the ground!"

Asuka glared at him silently. _Good, that's just what I wanted. Stop hiding your power. Throw everything you've got at me. _Asuka raised her revolver, readying it before her._ I don't have enough bullets to wear away your shield and even an idiot like you knows that. But start wasting energy, and I just might find an opening. …I just need to live long enough…_ "Talk some more. From what I've seen, your bark is the most painful thing you've got."

"Aaaargh!" Quinn cried as he charged forward. Again the speed was a blur. Asuka knew she wouldn't stop him so easily this time, and dodged backward. Quinn punched, his arm swinging wide, slamming into the wall. The punch struck through the wall, leaving a hole around Quinn's arm where it went through. _I was right about his strength. He wasn't kidding about the powder thing._

Rataliating, Asuka fired her weapon. The bullet deflected off of Quinn's shield without him even flinching. He smirked. "Hmha! See!? This is your fault you know! All of your hope is for nothing!"

"Oh, how terrible. I am in awe of you, you clever, nefarious fiend. Agh," Asuka answered dryly.

Quinn grit his teeth. "Tch… You're unshakable… Why don't you tremble in fear already!?"

"I thought I was. Wasn't I doing a good job? I'll try again. Ah, no. Don't hurt me, please."

"Grr… Y-you… I'll-!" Quinn's response was cut off as the office door rattled and opened. Out of 'her own' office, Asuka watched a small, unassuming looking girl emerge. She wore a black, sleeveless ninja garb with a ninjato sheathed over her shoulder, and her dark hair tied intricately in a bow behind the head of her face, which was covered by a tight, but plain cloth mask. She turned to Asuka, and her eyes were grey and cold. There was no hint of emotion behind them. In a way, she looked like she didn't wish to be here, or at least was completely indifferent to the whole thing. Asuka half expected her to turn around and go back the way she'd come, like she'd emerged from the wrong door and meant to be somewhere else. "Sh-Shikyo! Have you come to watch me?"

"No," the girl responded flatly. She was breathing heavily, beads of sweat playing across her brow. _This is the girl who attacked me before… The shadow manipulator… Of course she's a ninja… Looks like all that power wears her out though._ Reaching over her shoulder, Shikyo drew her sword.

"Hey, hold on! I saw her first!" Quinn complained.

"Untrue."

"W-well, I'm fighting her now! You can't cut; that's not fair!"

"Then help."

"Tch…" Quinn grit his teeth. "That won't matter… It'll be over too quickly that way! I wanted to have the chance to enjoy this!"

Shikyo made no response. She didn't seem to care about Quinn's complaints.

Suddenly, on the opposite side of her opponents from her, Asuka saw another figure emerge around the hallway. "M-miss Asuka!" _What is she doing here!?_

The figure was the girl, Luna. She must have gotten out of her room, but how? _Wait, didn't Quinn come from that direction? Tch… It's a good thing he didn't' find her then, but her being here now isn't helping matters._ "Idiot! Get out of here!" Asuka shouted.

* * *

Luna wasn't entirely sure what to make of this setting. Miss Asuka had her pistol drawn, and seemed to be fighting a ninja girl and a glowing martial artist… By any stretch of the imagination, that situation was certainly weird. She took a step back as Asuka yelled at her, but she didn't move further. _Can I really just run away? That sounds humiliating, but I can't fight… I don't even know what's going on!_

"Oooh, who's this!?" the martial artist asked. His gaze as he turned to Luna made her uncomfortable.

"Shut up, freak! I'm the one you're after, remember?" Asuka shouted.

"This isn't really a team game…" the man answered, beginning to walk toward Luna. "So, if you're already taken, I'll just have to play with someone else."

"Quinn!" Asuka shouted, firing her pistol. The shot deflected without ever touching he man. _Wh-what is that? The glow is a force field?_ The ninja girl used the opportunity to rush Asuka. She swung her sword, and Asuka weaved back. The blade cut through the barrel of her pistol like it wasn't even there. No, there was more… A darkness clung to the blade, but what was it? Asuka leveled her newly snubbed revolver at her attacker and fired again, but the girl's shadow shot up around her, creating a wall! "Gah; why are all the bad guys bulletproof!? Luna, just stay alive; I'll come for you!"

Quinn stood before Luna now. His smile was unsettling. _What do I do? I don't think I can outrun this guy. Do I fight? …I-I don't think I can win a fight with him either!_ "Hi there!" he said in a surprisingly friendly tone.

"U-uh. H-hi…" Luna answered. She could hear the battle continue between Asuka and the ninja, but she couldn't focus on it in this situation.

"Want to play a game?"

_A-a…? …Game?_ "What, kind of game?" _I wish I wasn't alone. I feel so useless without my Pokémon._

"A fun one!"

"Uh, o-…kay… how is it played?" _They're always supporting me… I don't… I don't think I can handle this on me own._

"It's simple really," Quinn answered raising a finger. Smiling brightly he explained, "You see, I just cause escalating levels of physical injury upon your person, and you try not to scream. Then, when you inevitably do scream, I continue escalating injury until such a time as you die. There are no real losers in this game, since I get to win, and you get to die! _Fun_, right!?"

"…" Luna stared blankly at Quinn.

"Hm? Excited? You're excited aren't you! I knew it! This will be a fun game!"

"A-a… a-are you…" Luna stammered. It wasn't so much the horror at being proposed to play such terrible game, as just the astonishment. "…**_serious!?_**"

"Bwah…?"

"**You moron! That's not a game!****That's sadism!**_"_

"Hmph. Anything is a game a-"

"**Shut up!**" Luna shouted, taking a step toward Quinn, "**What the heck kind of freak are you!? You sick and twisted pile of dirt and puss!**"

"N-… name calling…" Quinn stammered, backing away from Luna's fierce vocal assault, "i-isn't al-"

"**Shut up!**" Luna shouted again, backing Quinn back further still. "**You know, I've been through a lot. I've had to put up with some utterly ridiculous stuff like you wouldn't even believe, but you! S-some, sick sadist who doesn't understand the concept of not getting his way because all your half-wit brain can think of for a counter argument to anything is how it affects you and your sad and pathetic little world! That is it; that is just, truly pathetic! Just, are you kidding me!? I can't even fathom the levels of brain-dead stupidity it takes to be you!**"

Luna's tirade had apparently ended. Silence hung between them for a moment. The only sound was Luna's hard breathing. _Geez… I really went all out on this guy. …That felt kind of mean… I wonder if this is how Asuka feels __**all**__ the time?_ Quinn finally broke the silence. "I don't want to play with you anymore…" His expression turned from shock into a glare. "Instead, just _die_."

_Well that's better…_ Luna lowered her stance, clenching her fists as she continued to glare at Quinn. _I don't care how weak I am. I don't care if I'm alone… I won't back down!_ "Come on." A swift pain spread through Luna's stomach. One swift punch; it was so fast, she didn't even see it. That's all it took. She was lifted off her feet, immediately slamming into a wall. The back of her head felt cool and wet as it struck, and then there was nothing.

* * *

_I don't have time for this… That lunatic will kill her!_ Asuka glared at Shikyo. "I don't care what sort of power you have. You're pushing yourself too hard. Get out of my way!" _I only have two more bullets now… I need to make them count._

Shikyo made no direct response to Asuka's request, instead standing calmly in place. She was breathing heavily, and Asuka couldn't help but to wonder if she was tired enough to actually be considering just giving up. At least, that's what she hoped, but she wasn't willing to bank on it. _I can't rest on hope alone. I have to presume she's going to try something. If she can control shadows… then…_

Asuka jerked to the side. As she did, the motion seemed to stagger Shikyo, who cried out. "Ga-aah!" Shooting a look behind her, Asuka saw her own shadow receding into place. _I get it. I was wondering when you would try something like that._

Asuka looked back toward Shikyo. She was still recovering from her failed attempt to wrest control of Asuka's shadow. "I saw that you know," Asuka said. "I know what you did, and I've got a pretty good idea of your limitations."

Shikyo said nothing.

"You can control static shadows, and apparently your own, but a moving shadow is too much for you to handle _other_ than your own." With a smile, Asuka began to pace back and forth across the hallway. "So basically, since your powers are limited, all I need to do to avoid giving you an opening is to just keep moving. There aren't any other shadows for you to control in this hallway!"

Shikyo paused for a moment. Then taking a breath she gripped her sword tightly, rushing Asuka. She swung her sword, and Asuka ducked under it. Her shadow lashed out, and Asuka weaved to the side avoiding it. Asuka aimed for a body shot. Immediately a shadow shot up to defend, but Asuka feinted around it. Surprising Shikyo with her quick action, Asuka struck forth her elbow, slamming into Shikyo's cheek. The blow staggered her, but she quickly retaliated, slashing wildly with her sword. Asuka fired a round from her revolver. The bullet struck Shikyo's blade, snapping it in two mid swing.

Staggering backward, Shikyo quickly recovered and attacked again. She swung her broken sword through the air, a shadow shooting up from the hilt where the blade would normally be, extending further than the sword normally would. Asuka wasn't quite fast enough to fully evade this attack, the shadow blade piercing her shoulder. "Gwaaah!"

Asuka could hear Luna launching into an angry tirade against Quinn. As much as Asuka loved the idea of that guy catching an earful, she didn't like Luna's odds if she made him mad. Though, they couldn't be much worse than they were in the first place, anyhow… _I don't have time to waste on this one!_

As the shadow receded from her shoulder Asuka lunged forward. With a roar she struck Shikyo's wrist, bludgeoning it with her weapon. Wincing in pain Shikyo dropped the broken blade from her hand. Following through, Asuka launched a powerful kick. She felt her foot connect with Shikyo's jaw, launching her off her feet.

* * *

As the girl crumpled to the floor, Quinn continued to stare for a moment longer. He hadn't enjoyed that, which he found disturbing. _Little brat. How is this supposed to be fun if you fall so easily?_ He shook his head, but then heard a similar noise behind him. Turning, he saw Shikyo on the ground, her sword broken in two. He smiled. "Hey. Bwaha… You're pretty worn out, aren'tcha?"

Shikyo didn't' answer, instead rolling over to her side in pain. _Geez. As much as I hate to admit it, Shikyo really must have worn herself out. If she'd conserved her energy more this would have been too easy._ Quinn's grin grew wide. _Well… Her mistake is my gain._

"Hey, Shikyo. Why don't you pack up? You're no good in this condition. Let me finish her off, eh?"

Shikyo stood, swaying slightly as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Come on. He'll be angry if you get sloppy. You don't want that… do you?"

For a moment Shikyo froze. It was a satisfying feeling for Quinn. He knew his words cut her. Slowly she turned. Without tone or expression, she answered. "Yes…" It was a bit ambiguous, but as she turned back toward the room she came in from, her intention was made clear.

"That a girl. And don't worry. I'll take care of everything," Quinn assured her as he turned his full attention toward Asuka. "And I'll enjoy it too."

As Shikyo made her exit, she called back without stopping. "Quinn. He'll be angry. Don't fail."

_Tch. She's threatening me now? Shut up you soulless doll!_ "…I understand…"

Without another word between them, Shikyo disappeared. Asuka was breathing heavily, but she still clearly had some fight left in her. "I don't get the feeling you're well liked. Not that I ever did."

"Funny," Quinn answered. "I don't get the feeling you're going to live longer than ten seconds! Not that I ever did!"

Asuka smirked. "I just keep disappointing you…"

"That's okay," Quinn said as he clenched a fist and entered a fighting stance. "I'll forgive you." Surging forth with all of his speed, Quinn charged toward Asuka. To his surprise, she didn't flee. Instead she came forward as well, closing the gap between them. She swung her weapon at Quinn's head, but the blow slid off his Aura Guard. With a satisfied grin Quinn punched, not needing to avoid Asuka's blow.

Asuka dodged, swiping with her pistol once more, and again her attack collided with his shield to no effect. Quinn goaded her at her failure as struck back with a double roundhouse kick. "That won't work! It told you already didn't I? To a mortal like you I may as well be a god! I'm invincible!"

Asuka weaved back, gaining some distance as she leveled her weapon, aiming straight for Quinn's chest. "You're afraid of someone, and I'm going to find out who." Instead of firing her weapon, she charged forward again, sweeping at Quinn's head with a high kick.

"A-afraid!? Me!?" Quinn cried as the woman's attack glanced off his shield. "Idiot; don't you get it yet!? I'm invincible!?"

Quinn swung wildly, losing his composure for a moment. Asuka seized the opportunity, evading behind him. She shoulder charged against Quinn's shield, and the two of them slammed into the wall, Asuka pinning her opponent in place. "Not likely. I've seen your glowy, urine stained Aura Guard. I'm not impressed. I can think of at least one person who could definitely punch through it on brute force alone, and after hearing your conversation with the kunoichi, I'm willing to bet there's someone else who can break it just as easily!"

Quinn froze in surprise. _She knows what it's called!? That… N-no… It has to just be coincidence. She can't know that! A-and even if she does, who cares? She's be lying from the beginning; trying to manipulate me! She's not playing fair! Like everyone else; she's breaking the rules! Punish; I'll punish… I'll punish her!_ "A-a… against… the rules!" Quinn focused his strength. He propelled himself off the wall, sending himself and Asuka flying backwards. He crushed Asuka against the opposite wall with his incredible strength.

"Gyghaa!" Asuka cried out as she struck the wall with a satisfying crunch.

Swinging around, Quinn saw as Asuka began to slump along the wall toward the floor. _Can't have that._ He reached down, grabbing her by the throat with his left hand. He lifted her off the ground, slamming her once again against the wall and pinning her there. Asuka's head was already bleeding from the first blow. The second likely wasn't doing her any favors. To his surprise, Quinn saw that she still had the presence of mind to hold on to her weapon. "That won't help you here. Do you even have any bullets left? It doesn't matter; you're weak! There's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Asuka glared back at him, even as his hand strained around her neck and she struggled to breath.

Quin smiled. "Don't worry. I won't let you die that way," he said, cupping his fingers in a claw-like fashion. "I'm going to break every single one of your ribs one by one as I rip your still beating heart from your chest and show it to you." He broke down into a fit of giggling at the prospect. "Ohh, this is wonderful! I've always wanted to try this!"

Asuka couldn't have answered if she wanted to. All she could do was glare back at him. Quinn reveled in the sensation of power.

Suddenly an overwhelming sense of power washed over Quinn, but it was not his own power. It dwarfed it. He stood in its shadow, and in an instant he was terrified. _Th-this feeling! It's just like…_ "**Get your hands off of her you sick, worthless freak!**"

* * *

_Dark… Why is it so dark? My eyes are open… I know they're open, but why is it so dark? Why is there… nothing…_ As these thoughts played across Luna's mind a light appeared. It was a faint violet light. _Wh-… what is that? It feels… warm… Clean. …I don't feel very strong; what's happening? Where?_

Luna felt her strength returning to her. The pain faded away and she felt she couldn't wait any longer. She had to know. She had to know what was going on. Luna shot to her feet, breaking free of the violet light which enveloped her. Her senses were clear now, but she still couldn't see. All around her was darkness. A pitch black void of nothing.

"You shouldn't… push yourself, so hard…" a voice said through panted breaths.

In the darkness before Luna, now sat Gene. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed him before. "Gene? What's going on?"

"You were hurt," Gene explained. He seemed very strained, and tired. He looked ready to collapse at any moment. "I did what I could… to heal you…"

The memory of being attacked by Quinn played across Luna's mind. "Y-you did?" She looked around at her surroundings but saw nothing. All that was around her was a blackness given no form, yet somehow she could tell that there was fighting nearby. It was an unsettling feeling. "Where are we? How did we get here?"

"I brought us here. It's… just something I can do…" Gene explained. "As to the where… I call it, the Boundary."

"The boundary to where? Between what?"

"The Boundary… between our world and… somewhere else… Or something else. I'm not really sure. I don't know the nature of this place. …Just how to get here. I think this is at least partially a world of my creation that exists between reality and… unreality…? I-it, it's complicated alright…"

A scream cried out through the darkness. It seemed at once distant, and near. It was a terrible sound. "W-what was that!?" Luna asked.

"An echo. An echo from the world we're from. You can hear what's going on nearby, even if we're removed from that space. …Sometimes… I hear echoes, from… somewhere else… B-but, that's not important right now."

"It's Miss Asuka! She's in pain!"

"Yeah…"

As if willed by their thoughts a window opened in the darkness. Luna could see Asuka as she was strangled against a wall by Quinn. "Asuka!" She turned to Gene in horror. "We have to help her!"

"I can't… I'm not a fighter, and I've used my strength… I wish I was stronger, but I'm not…" There was real pain within his eyes as Gene said these words.

"S-so, bring Miss Asuka here then!"

"I can't do that either… I'm too weak, and I'd bring that man here too…"

This conversation was becoming frustrating. "Agh! Fine! Then send _me _back!"

"You…?" Gene looked at Luna questioningly. "What can you do?"

Luna felt stronger now. Maybe it was Gene's healing, but she felt a power surging through her. Actually, it was a familiar power. It was the same power she felt when she fought alongside Piplup and her Pokémon. "I can try!" she answered.

Gene's eyes widened. It was like he could see something that Luna herself could not. Then with a gentle smile he said, "…Alright. But Luna… Don't die."

* * *

_That voice… I-it can't be!_ Quinn turned, and with a shock he realized that the girl he'd put on the floor a moment ago was apparently completely unharmed. She surged forward, and distinct blue Aura surrounding her as energy coalesced into her hand. _Wh-what!? She's an Adept!?_

Too stunned to react, Quinn could do nothing. Luna punched, her blue aura focusing into her fist. Her aura clashed with Quinn's, and pierced his shield. A dull pain spread through Quinn as Luna's punch struck him square in the shoulder.

Staggering back Quinn dropped Asuka to the ground. _How could this…? She… hit me!? Broke my defense!? S-she… s-she's cheating!_ Gritting his teeth angrily, he threw forth his own punch. Luna swung up both of her arms to defend herself, her Aura growing stronger as she braced against the attack. She was blasted by the force of the punch, sent flying down the hall. She hit the ground hard, rolling a few times before staggering unsteadily to her feet, battered, bruised and a bit bloody, but her injuries were nowhere near as severe as they should have been. _That punch should have broken her arms! How is she still fine after that!? Th-that's…! That's not __**fair**__!_

"Miss Asuka!" Luna shouted.

Quinn turned again in surprise to see Asuka, slumped against the wall but holding her gun firmly with both hands. "I see it," she croaked in a hoarse tone.

_See? See what!? What does she see!?_ Quinn's mind raced frantically. Suddenly he realized what it was they saw. Quinn's Aura Guard still had the hole in it Luna had punched through. _Wh-what!? B-but, that shouldn't happen! I-I'll just…!_ Quinn strained to regenerate his guard, but it wouldn't come. Try as he might, he couldn't fill the hole. It was like an empty void his Aura couldn't reach. _N-no no no no nooo! This isn't happening; this __**can't**__ be happening!_

Quinn stared in frantic horror and saw the calm in Asuka's eyes. A calm which his own eyes certainly did not share. He screamed in complete terror, "Noooooooo**oooooo**-!"

As the bang of a gunshot echoed through the halls, Quinn's cry of terror turned to one of pain.


	8. Ideals

Chapter 8:

Ideals

Before Batou's eyes lay Ryu, motionless on the floor. He didn't want to think of whether he was really dead. Fortunately, there were other matters to attend to. Or unfortunately, as it were… The Zoroark covered his bleeding chest, breathing unevenly. "O-oh no." Batou rushed to the Pokémon's side. He didn't have any first aid supplies handy, and he wasn't sure how helpful they'd be against cuts this deep. He removed his vest, wrapping it tightly to Zoroark's wounds, holding it in place by hand. "Just hold on okay. We'll get you some real help as soon as we can."

Piplup and Growlithe approached Zoroark as well. Their concern was evident. "Don't worry guys. It'll be okay."

"Pi-plup pii…"

"Gwooow…"

A wry grin spread across Zoroark's face. "Zaaa-… Aaaraa," he said, patting Piplup on the head. Batou wasn't sure what was said, but it looked like Growlithe and Piplup were about to break out into tears!

Mawile rolled her eyes. "Maaa… Mawa maema e mawaa. …Maa-eea…"

Both Piplup and Growlithe gave a start, turning their gazes back up to Zoroark suspiciously.

"Tcha- za-aaa-ra," he laughed uneasily with a devious sneer, but an unsteady fit off coughing interrupted him.

Worry renewed itself in the faces of Growlithe and Piplup. Even Mawile looked a bit concerned now. "M-…Mawa ma!? Maaiimaa mawa ma-ee!"

"Hey, don't worry guys. I know it looks bad, but we'll get through this. Have a little faith," Batou assured them.

A voice crept in, weak and uncertain. "How can you show them such kindness?" Piplup and Growlithe spun around defensively, and Mawile cast a cold glare in the direction of the voice.

Batou looked up. Ryu was still on the floor, but he was conscious again, looking at them. Batou cringed at the sight of the bloody cut across Ryu's face where Piplup had struck him. It was a pretty nasty looking wound, but still nowhere near as severe as what Zoroark faced. "That's the natural reaction. When you see someone in pain, of course you want to help them."

Ryu grimaced. "Tch… H-hypocrite… D-don't you realize what they are? What they can do."

Batou smiled. "They're pretty amazing huh?"

Ryu winced in disbelief. "I-idiot… They could tear you apart. They could… ruin, everything…!"

"But they don't." It wasn't Batou who answered this time. Further down the hall, Justin cradled Seeker in his arms on the floor. He didn't bother to look at Ryu as he spoke. "Pokémon have amazing power, and they can be dangerous. But that's true of anyone. He can you be so afraid of them and not reserve any of that fear for yourself?"

"A-afraid?" Ryu asked with a start.

"O-oh… I see…" Batou said slowly. "I get it. You're really afraid of Pokémon, aren't you? That's why you hate us…"

"I don't… hate you. I… we…" Ryu stammered, trying to find the words. "We'll save the world."

"Well, that's a new one…" Justin snarked.

"We will! Team Aura… is a group dedicated to eradicating all Pokémon."

_W-what!? He wants to… kill all Pokémon?_ "Th-… that's insane!" Batou shouted. "You're talking about murder on a massive scale; how do you justify that!?"

"You can't," Justin answered bluntly.

Ryu struggled to his feet. Breathing heavily he forced out the words. "I'm not… saying it's a perfect plan. But, what's it you say? Justice? Well, if you want justice… that path is through sacrifice. Sometimes people get caught in the crossfire. It happens."

"No!" Justin shouted as he rose to his feet. He turned and with a stern look in his eyes he said, "Justice is not sacrifice. It's true, sometimes when you try to do the right thing there's a cost, but that cost isn't justice! It's a tragedy! To pursue justice; to really find it, we must endeavor to raise ourselves above the past. To do better, and create a future without sacrifice! If you just keep paying the cost hoping things will change, it'll never add up! All you do is support a flawed system!"

"That's exactly the kind of thing we're working against! Think about how much of our world is devoted to these monsters! What kind of place would it be if they didn't exist!? How much greater would humanity be if they stopped relying on Pokémon as a crutch!?" Ryu declared.

"Y-you know…" Batou stammered, but his voice went unheeded.

"That's ridiculous! Your own personal power!? How dare you compare that to justice!?" Justin decried.

"Is your self-righteousness better!? What place is there in your 'justice' for people who aren't exactly like you other than the bottom of the barrel!?"

"I-I…!? Y-you're just resorting to slander now!" Justin stammered.

"Is it so hard to admit your flaws!?"

"What about you!?"

"Enough!" Batou shouted. He'd apparently been forgotten. Speaking up like this actually managed to surprise both parties enough to put him in the spotlight. "Arguing like this isn't going to help anyone!"

Ryu shook his head. "You're right about that at least…"

"Oh, what?" Justin scoffed. "You can't possibly want to fight us again?"

Ryu's eyes fearfully flit between Mawile, Piplup and Growlithe. "S-stay away! Y-you monsters are just…"

"Don't they deserve a say in it?" Batou asked.

"In what?"

"You said you wanted… that your mission was to eradicate all Pokémon. Don't you think they deserve a say in it? Or do you just get to murder anyone without a second thought?"

"Th-that's…! …Don't try to make us out to be the bad guys here!"

"What else do you call someone who blows up a building!?"

"Sacrifices, need-…"

"No, they don't," Batou said calmly. "I don't care who you are, or how righteous your cause is. No one has the right to take the life of another."

Mawile cast a surprised look at Batou. "Ma-maa-ee… maw…?"

Ryu stared at Batou, his eyes wide with surprise. Then he shook his head. "You're right. This _is_ pointless to argue."

"Wh-whoa, wait…"

"I'm leaving. I can't finish what I started. I've failed," Ryu explained flatly as he turned away.

"Not a chance!" Justin shouted. "You're a professed terrorist! We can't just let you walk away!"

"I think," Ryu answered, "that it's cute you still think you can stop me. …I've been wrong before, but this much, is still within my power."

"Ryu…" Batou uttered.

"Save your breath! I don't have anything more to say to you."

"Ma-wema!" Mawile shouted, chasing after Ryu as he started to leave. Growlithe and Piplup moved to chase him as well, but before any of them could gain any distance, Ryu turned, blasting a gale of blunt wind through the hall. It didn't cut like before (probably due to the absence of Ryu's swords), but they couldn't pass the wall of wind. By the time it subsided, Ryu was gone.

* * *

Luna's breath drew heavily. Even if the advantage was now hers, the situation was horrifying. She'd just punched through some sicko's glowing yellow shield, and then seen him get shot by a gun which may or may not have simply removed his entire shoulder! Taking in all of that, she barely had any time to consider her own bluish glow. She glanced down, looking at her hands as if to confirm it, but there was no longer any sign of it. Whatever power she'd unleashed a moment ago, it had now faded.

"Th-that was..." _That power... was that inside of me all along? What is it!?_ The question played across Luna's mind. As Quinn lay screaming on the ground, the thought briefly occurred to Luna that he may actually be able to answer the question. Though the idea of having to rely on _him_ for information was... distasteful. It was then Luna remembered that there was another who'd shown a rather bizarre power of his own. She turned and saw Gene sitting on the floor, his face pale and his fortitude questionable. A patch of blood splattered against the wall, and puddled on the floor nearby. It was a disturbing feeling for Luna to realize that blood must have been her own. _B-but I'm fine now... A few fresh bruises, but what happened before..._

She knew it wasn't a lie, what Gene had told her. If not for him, she probably wouldn't be conscious right now, and Luna certainly didn't want to consider 'worst case scenarios'. "Gene... What was that? What'd I do?"

The faint light in Gene's eyes flickered as he heard his name. He turned wearily to meet Luna's gaze. "You... _contradicted_ him."

"Huh? Contradict?"

Gene nodded slowly. "Well, maybe that's not the best term... Your aura clashed against that man's... and shattered it. ...Fortunate that you were strong enough... But that's... a... guh... That's a dangerous power... Luna."

"Dangerous?"

"Don't worry. It let you win right?"

"Got that right," Asuka called to them. "...Sorry... Not a private hallway. Your voices carry."

"Miss Asuka!" Luna turned to see Asuka fumbling with the chamber of her revolver, unsteadily sliding fresh bullets into place. "Are you alright?" She felt mildly ashamed for not asking sooner. Though actually, it didn't seem like Gene was doing much better... Actually, Luna realized she was the only one here who _wasn't_ likely too badly injured.

"I'll live..." Asuka groaned, snapping her revolver's cylander into place. "Tch... No thanks to this guy," she added, motioning toward Quinn.

The man's screaming had quieted a bit. He was still clearly in pain, but he muffled his reactions. Quinn grit his teeth as he answered the accusation, "Y-you! Y-you didn't win! Th-this... Th-this is void; you broke the rules!"

"Sheesh, still whining in this situation..." Asuka scoffed.

Hearing Quinn's voice rekindled Luna's fire a bit. "Y-you! Alright, who are you really? Why did you attack us!?"

"Pff... Isn't it obvious enough?" Quinn asked. "Aagh... Because it was _fun_!"

"F-fun!?" Luna repeated in disbelief.

"Alright, better question," Asuka interrupted. "Why did Shikyo attack us?"

Quinn glared at Asuka. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Huh. And here I thought you enjoyed theatrics..."

Luna glared at Quinn in disdain. "A sicko like him probably doesn't need a better reason to attack someone. The half-wit probably doesn't even know the answer to that question, Miss Asuka."

"What?" Quinn asked flatly.

Asuka smirked. "I guess you're right. No value in a second tier player like him. I guess I really don't have any choice but to track down Shikyo and ask. Between the two of them, she's clearly the more competent."

"Sh-shut up! We attacked you because it's our mission!"

_...What an idiot..._ "Oh?" Luna asked. "That's an easy answer. I guess a half-wit _would_ think that's alot, huh? No one keeps you in the loop at all, and you're just too dumb to notice it..."

"I told you I know! We're members of Team Aura! We came to assassinate whoever started investigating the bombings! It was supposed to be a not so subtle message declaring our power!"

Asuka shook her head. "Stupid moron... I wasn't assigned to investigate until you lunes started blowing stuff up. A low class thug like you though probably doesn't have the foresight to realize that though..."

"Which means he probably doesn't know why the Pokémon Centers were attacked either," Luna added, nodding her head.

Quinn glared at the two of them. "I see what you're doing... You want to know!? Fine! We were going to tell everyone anyway! The whole world will know!"

Luna frowned. _Geez... Now he's really taking all the fun out of this..._

"Team Aura is dedicated to the eradication of all Pokémon! And anyone who associates with or aids Pokémon is our enemy! The attacks on the Pokémon Center were the first steps toward sowing the seeds of fear into the populace!"

"W-what would that accomplish?" Luna asked.

Quinn grinned with a pained laugh. "Imagine it... Imagine the fear of not knowing when or how you could die... Now imagine that that fear of death is associated to your Pokémon. People will suffer and die just for being around them! And if that happens, soon the populace will grow weary. They'll start to become disdainful toward their Pokémon, and blame _them_ for their fear; their anxiety!"

"That's..."

"We'll torment the populace with the things they cherish the most... It's quite a delicious game," Quinn said with a satisfied smile.

"No, that's wrong," Luna said flatly.

"...What?"

"People and Pokémon... their bonds aren't so easily corrupted!"

Asuka sat quietly as Luna made her declaration. Luna couldn't read her expression, but Quinn seemed completely taken aback by it. She decided it would be good to follow through quickly. "You're right that people do cherish their Pokémon, and the bonds that they have with them. But you're wrong thinking that you could ever use those bonds for evil! People aren't that weak hearted.

"The bonds between people and Pokémon are strong! They fight together, travel together, live their lives beside one another; those connections can't be severed by a single foreign experience. I know... I absolutely know that to be true, because I've felt it! I've felt the connection I have with my Pokémon! When we're near each other, I feel strong, like I can accomplish anything! Even now, I can still feel them; the bonds connecting me to my Pokémon..."

Quinn stared at Luna, a look of surprise in his eyes. "That Aura..."

_Huh? Aura?_ Luna finally noticed. As she had been speaking her power had flared up again, enveloping her in a bluish glow. But as soon as she noticed, the light once again faded away. "W-...? What did I...?"

Quinn grimaced. "Sickening... You draw out your Aura from the bonds you have with those creatures? How repulsive..."

"Funny," Asuka remarked. "I seem to recall you having a bit of a case of the glows yourself. In fact, you've still got it... I can only imagine it's a power derived from the warm fuzzy feeling you get at the thought of grinding one's bones to put in a soup..."

"What are you implying?"

"She's saying you're the sick one, freak!" Luna shouted.

Quinn rolled over, struggling to his feet. "Your cutting words mean nothing now..."

"You wanna try it...?" Asuka spoke coolly. "We'll see how many more bullets you can eat."

"You just don't get it..." Quinn growled, turning back to Asuka. "...just how much more powerful I am than you."

"Funny... You don't seem to get how much more powerful a bullet is than your body."

"And I'll make sure she hits too!" Luna added. "Tick me off enough, and I'm sure I can punch another hole in your armor!" _I'm... not entirely that confident, but there's no reason he needs to know that..._

"That's what I don't get!" Quinn shouted angrily. "Why!? Why do you challenge us!? Don't you get it!? With our power, in a world with no Pokémon, we'd be unstoppable! No one could stand against us! We could have all that world has to offer; sate any desire, and live like gods unto the mortal masses beneath us! Why is someone like _you_ in our way!?"

"Someone like me?" Luna asked. She wasn't quite following Quinn's train of thought anymore. "What does that mean? I'm just 'Luna'. I'm me, and besides... the world you'd create is still one without Pokémon. I don't want any part of that world. ...It doesn't have all that I desire! It doesn't even come close to what I already _have_!"

Quinn pouted a bit at the denial. "...Fine... This... isn't over..." Saying so, he turned, running through the broken doorway to the nearby office.

"Oh no you don't! Get back here, freak!" Luna shouted, giving chase. As she rounded the corner Quinn leapt through the already broken window. Landing on the grass outside, he bolted in a blur of motion. Luna could only stand by the window and watch as he sped away. There was certainly no way she could catch him now... She was still stuck on the second floor. "...Dang..."

* * *

Asuka groaned, teetering slightly as she leaned against the wall. "I'm pretty sure I already know the answer," she croaked hoarsely, "but'd you catch him?"

"...Nope," Luna answered.

"He jump from a second story window?"

"Yep."

"Perfectly fine when he landed?"

"Yep."

"Run away faster than you could move even if you could follow him?"

"...Yep."

"So, feel stupid for trying?"

"...Yep..."

Asuka shook her head. "No further questions."

Luna returned to the hallway. With a perturbed expression she said, "You know, there's something irritating about having a conversation with you..."

"Most people feel that way in the presence of their intellectual superiors. You'll get over it."

"Wh-? H-hey, what gives!? I just saved your life you know!"

"Yeah. Thanks for that," Asuka said flatly. Actually, she was being sincere, but it sure didn't sound like it.

"That's all I get!?"

"Well, only the real high ranking agents get the authority to throw parades. I wouldn't want to overstep my bounds."

"That's not what I-! ...Agh. Fine. You're welcome," Luna relented.

A light smirk spread across Asuka's face. Suddenly a separate voice cried her name from down the hall. "Miss Asuka!"

"Eh?" Asuka turned to see who had called her. It seemed to be one of the local police officers.

The man had a number of cuts, and seemed out of sorts in general. Asuka surmised that he'd been caught up in some sort of skirmish as well. "Thank goodness you're alright! I'd worried something had happened."

"Really?" Asuka glanced between the fragmented door to her office, the various holes in the walls, and spots of blood all along the hallway. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Eh, er... In either case, I've alerted the hospital to our situation, and emergency personnel should be responding shortly to take care of the wounded. Additionally, the rest of the police force should arrive soon, ensuring their safety in their heroic mission!"

"Agh...? Wha-...?" Asuka shook her head. "Oh, nevermind... Who are you anyway?"

"Ah, right! Forgive my rudeness m'lady!" _...M'lady?_ "My name is Justin Lawe! A proud servant of truth; and justice; just like yourself!"

"Whaa-...?"

"Pi-plu!" shouted a small form as it rushed past Justin.

"Piplup!" cried Luna in response. Piplup leapt into Luna's arms and she hugged him close. "Oho, I've missed you! Gosh, you have no idea what I just went through!"

"Pi-pip! Piplup pi pip plup pi! Pi plup pup~..." Piplup continued on, apparently recounting a longwinded and winding explanation of events which no one but he could understand.

Luna stared blankly at Piplup for a moment after he had finished before smiling broadly and squeezing him in her arms. "Daaaw, you're so cute!"

"P-Pi-plu plu! Piplup pi plup pi!" Piplup whined.

Asuka shook her head, turning her attention back to Justin. "You know what," Asuka said, relenting of her confusion, "good job. Just, whatever..."

* * *

The emergency responders arrived shortly. Most of the officers on the first floor had apparently run afoul of Ryu. They were in pretty bad shape, but fatalities were surprisingly low. Regardless, the thought that someone could be powerful enough to walk into a police station and subdue the officers within so easily was more than just a bit frightening. Luna didn't want to think about what the implications were for the future.

Seeker and Zoroark were in critical condition, but apparently they were going to be okay, thanks to Batou. Luna would have never expected it, but apparently he's pretty good in a crisis. It was actually kind of humbling; a reminder that people can have all sorts of hidden depths if they're just given the chance to show them.

Luna herself had escaped with nothing more than a few bruises thanks to Gene. She didn't fully understand it, but apparently, he had some bizarre to heal. She owed him for saving her life. The thought that she'd likely have actually died without his intervention was more than a little frightening. _I just keep dodging these close calls. Is it going to keep being like this? I mean, geez, does... fate just hate me!?_ Luna let out a sigh. Worrying about it wasn't going to help.

However, Gene's power didn't seem to be free. Apparently he was critically exhausted, and the paramedics were quick to rush him away. Not before he'd had a moment to speak a few words to Luna however. _"I'm so sorry for all of this. Please, wherever you go from here, let me help. Go to the library. There's a girl named Amy there; I'm sure she'd be willing to give you a place to stay for a while. Just tell her I sent you. I-I'll... explain everything when I can..." That's what he told me, or something like it... So, what do I do now?_

"Hey? Why so glum?" Asuka stood before her, a weary expression on her face. The responders wanted to take her away when they arrived, but she refused, retorting with something along the lines of, 'I'll go when I'm ready!'. _She must be made of grit and sandpaper... Agh, but she's just another problem for me now!_

"...What do you care anyway?"

Asuka grimaced at Luna's less than cheery response. "Hey, now listen. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I've always done what I thought was best. I might not be the nicest person in the world, but I do try."

Luna frowned. As much as she hated to admit it, Asuka really was trying. She didn't like the idea of getting dragged back home by her father, or being poked and prodded by doctors trying to figure out why she survived the Blight, but it made sense. Actions like that, might really be for the greater good. "So... what do you think I should do...? What should happen to me?"

"I think you should go to the library. Rest, recover, and when Gene's out of the hospital, learn everything you can from him."

_W-what?_ This was a surprise. It wasn't at all the answer Luna expected. "W-wait, what!? I thought you wanted me to be poked and prodded by doctors or something?"

"I did, but that was before a bunch of people with super powers stormed the police station and tried to kill me. ...And, that was before I knew you were an Aura Adept." _That again. Aura... Adept?_

"I-I'm... a what?"

Asuka shook her head. Her expression was odd; pained, like there was more playing at her mind than Luna could see. "It's... It's complicated... I'm sure Gene can explain it better than I could, though I doubt he'll tell you everything."

"W-wait, hold on! Why don't you just explain it now?"

"Because I couldn't do it right," Asuka growled in a frustrated tone. "Look, there's alot more going on here than we originally thought. I've got my own homework to do, and I just don't understand this well enough to give you advice! Gene's an Adept too, so you're better off hearing it from him."

"Huh? Gene's an, Aura Adept, too?"

Asuka groaned. "Of course he is; put it together numbskull! You'd be dead if he wasn't!"

"Pluuu!" Piplup sat perched on Luna's shoulder, giving a growl at Asuka's harsh words.

"Oh, bite me beak face," Asuka retorted. "You know I'm right."

Piplup growled a bit and continued to glare, but for the most part kept quiet.

"That does make sense..." Luna said, ignoring both Asuka's rudeness and Piplup's outburst. "So, it's really okay for me to go where I want."

"It always is. The only question is how hard other people try to top you. ...And how thick the bars are."

"But what about my dad? He's going to expect to find me here."

"So? What's your point?"

"Uh... he'll be mad if he doesn't find me?"

"...And that's... bad?"

"U-uh..." _Right... I don't get the feeling Miss Asuka cares much if people are mad at her. My father's certainly not going to be the exception to that... _"Well, wouldn't he find me at the library anyway?"

"Does he read books?"

"I dunno..."

"Then no."

"...I... see... I see. Thank you Miss Asuka. That's actually, really helpful."

"Pi-plu?" Piplup asked, turning with an inquisitive look at Luna.

"Well, I guess I'm, gonna go then," Luna said slowly.

"Fine," Asuka answered.

"And, I can go wherever I want."

"Sure."

"You won't follow me?"

"I won't need to."

"..." Luna didn't quite have a response to this last one. It sounded kind of ominous... "Bye."

"Don't die." Really ominous...

* * *

As Luna made her way out of the building, a voice called out to her. "Hey, Luna!" The voice was Batou's. Having caught sight of her, he'd began running toward her, a bandaged Growlithe in his arms.

"Hey," Luna answered politely. "What're you up to?"

"Ah, not much," Batou replied before somewhat sheepishly asking, "U-uh, hey... Do you, happen to know if there are any good places to uh, camp, out here?"

"Pardon?" Luna asked in surprise.

"Uh, it's just, what with what's happened at the Pokemon Center, we're kinda out in the cold; which is fine! I'm fine with camping, it's just... I'm not really sure where to go..."

"I don't think you're supposed to actually be camping inside the city," Luna explained.

"Aw... So, maybe just outside the city then? Oi... what a pain..."

A thought played across Luna's mind as she spoke with Batou. _Hidden depths..._ "So, you and Growlithe are on a journey?"

"Yeah," Batou said with a smile. "Well, sort of. We don't really have goal. We're not on a mission or anything. We're just sort of, doing our thing, you know? Challenging dojos, fighting in gyms; that sort of thing. We're just starting out though, so it's not like we have very much experience."

"Do you have a destination?"

"Eh-heh... It's really more of one of those, 'journey, not the destination' things."

Luna and Piplup shared a glance. It seemed clear that neither of them had much faith in Batou's ability to manage himself on a journey. "Well, at the very least you must know where you're going next, right?"

"Actually, I thought we might stay here for a while. We haven't really gotten the chance to see the city since we got here. After that, who knows?"

"Ugh. You're completely hopeless..." Luna sighed.

"I'm... sorry?"

Luna shook her head with a smile. "You know what, instead of camping out, how about you come with me. Gene suggested this place I could stay for a while. Maybe they'll take you in too."

"Really?" Batou asked excitedly, jostling Growlithe uncomfortably in his arms. "That sounds great! Thank you; I knew you were a nice person!"

_Whoa! Was he... fishing for handouts this entire time!? No way!_ "U-uh, yeah... Sure, no problem. No promises either though; I'm not even sure what this place is like."

"Well where is it?" Batou asked.

"It's at the library."

"The library? Neat! I love books!"

"Really?" Luna asked, quirking her head to the side. "I'd, honestly have never guessed."

* * *

Gene roused from his sleep. His eyes remained in a fog, but he was sure he must be in a hospital room now. He couldn't actually remember falling asleep. He must have passed out on the way. Gene wanted to rush back to Amy's and explain to her what had happened. She must be worried by now...

What's more, he hoped Luna would follow up on his offer. After everything she'd been through, she deserved some answers. Besides which, he couldn't just close his eyes and ignore her existence. Like it or not, she was being drawn into something she didn't understand, and Gene could feel himself being pulled back in right along with her. There was no longer anywhere he could hide.

_Oh well... For now, it can wait. That's a 'tomorrow' problem..._ Closing his eyes, Gene began to allow himself to drift away again. But a harsh voice called him back. "Hey, I see you waking up. Don't even think about going back to sleep!"

It was Asuka's voice which called him. His mind still in a blur, he turned his head away to look toward the chair she sat in. "There you are," she continued. "You've brought alot a' trouble into my life, ya know that, jerk?"

Gene was quiet. He briefly wondered if he could pretend to fall asleep again.

"Time to make something of it," Asuka said boldy. "No more dancing around the weird stuff. ...Let's talk."


End file.
